On Saturday, Tim Tebow will rejoin ESPN as a college football analyst on the SEC Nation pregame broadcast before the Georgia/Vanderbilt game in Nashville. The SEC Nation two-hour broadcast begins at 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. CT).
Tebow tweeted his excitement at rejoining the sports network:
After the Philadelphia Eagles cut him on September 5, little doubt remained that Tebow would return to ESPN, which he had left in April to attempt a restart of his football career after the Eagles signed him. ESPN tacitly acknowledged that his job would be waiting for him, as John Wildhack, ESPN executive vice president, said at the time, “We appreciate Tim’s contributions to the launch of SEC Network and wish him all the best as he pursues his NFL dream. Tim quickly established a tremendous rapport with everyone he worked with in front of and behind the camera. He has a tireless work ethic and a unique passion for football.”
On Wednesday, Wildhack confirmed Tebow’s hiring, asserting, “Tim quickly developed into an excellent analyst last year, and we were not shy about acknowledging his home at ESPN should he be available to return.”
Until very recently, it appeared as if the Heisman Trophy-winner might stay on the Eagles’ roster. At the beginning of September, coach Chip Kelly said, “I’ve seen Tim improve since he got here. I’ve seen him improve his throwing motion.… I think he’s really worked very hard at that, sequencing his throwing motion. I think he’s been a lot more accurate with his passes. He’s had a good camp.”
But Kelly ultimately deemed Tebow not “good enough” for a third-string job.