With teams needing to cut their rosters down to 85 players, the NFL dream is nearing an end for 160 hopefuls. One of those players in quarterback/outfielder/tight end Tim Tebow who, according to the latest NFL rumors, is no longer a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In other news, New York Giants owner John Mara defended the league’s new taunting rule, while Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins details his battle with COVID-19.
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NFL Rumors: Tim Tebow, Dion Dawkins, John Mara
Jacksonville Jaguars Cut Tim Tebow
The Tim Tebow Era in Jacksonville is officially at an end. After signing the former quarterback to play tight end, head coach Urban Meyer parted ways with the Florida product as Jacksonville trimmed their roster down to 85 players.
Following the release, Tebow said that he was “thankful for the highs and even the lows” while adding that he “never wanted to make decisions out of fear or failure”. In a separate statement, head coach Urban Meyer said that cutting Tebow was “the right thing” for the team, but made a point to note that everyone in the locker room loved him.
Tebow has always been a great athlete, but you need more than pure athleticism to succeed in the NFL. As evidence by his failed blocking attempt and his inability to play special teams, Tebow is simply too far behind the curve to have any real NFL success at this point in life. Tebow might have had a chance if he tried this positional switch in his early 20’s like Logan Thomas, but at age 34, he simply doesn’t have youth on his side. Barring something completely unforeseen, this looks like the end of Tebow’s NFL career.
Tim Tebow needs to go back to the booth or baseball. #33 is trying to make the team but he got tackled for a loss because Tebow can’t block. Costing people money man SMH pic.twitter.com/RaquiYuW2k
— Sleeper Athletes (@SleeperAth1etes) August 16, 2021
Dion Dawkins Details Battle With COVID-19
The COVID-19 virus has impacted just about every aspect of the world over the past two years, and even elite NFL athletes are not immune to the dangers of the pandemic. Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins recently contracted the disease and spent four days hospitalized while trying to recover.
Dawkins reportedly had just about every symptom of COVID, including but not limited to “shortness of breath, hot and cold, everything…” While in the hospital, Dawkins said that there were moments where he believed the virus would get the best of him and ultimately take his life. While the offensive lineman eventually recovered, he lost 15 pounds in the process and head coach Sean McDermott said that Dawkins is “not close to where he needs to be to play”.
“How am I a professional athlete and I’m down bad like this?” — Dion Dawkins on what went through his head while battling Covid.
Said he was “extremely emotional,” adding “there were moments where I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to make this’”
— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) August 17, 2021
At the time of initial contraction, Dawkins had received both shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, two weeks had not gone by since his second shot, meaning that he was not yet fully vaccinated. Hopefully, Dawkins’ story can serve as a warning and encourage those on the fence to receive the vaccine.
Old Man John Mara Yells At Cloud
The No Fun League is back at it again with a widely-panned rule change. The league office is reportedly placing a higher emphasis on taunting, leading to a lot of backlash from fans that actually like to see players invested in the game. New York Giants owner John Mara, a member of the NFL’s competition committee, stood up in defense of the rule change during his latest press conference.
Stating that the committee gets “kind of sick and tired of the taunting”, Mara said that the Committee tries to “balance the sportsmanship…but nobody wants to see a player taunting another player.”
Mara certainly does not speak for the vast majority of the players and fans, as the rule is being largely panned by just about everyone. The shining example of this came in the Colts-Panthers game in the first week of the preseason. In the clip, Indianapolis Colts running back Benny LeMay pushes a pile of defenders roughly 10 yards past first contact and celebrates with a quick flex after the play. This triggered the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which is unquestionably ridiculous. Hopefully, this rule gets toned down once the games start counting.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
