Jaguars legend Jimmy Smith says his former team “needs a guy like Tim Tebow” but fears that original anthem protester Colin Kaepernick could have “divided our locker room.”
The former Jaguars wide receiver made the comments in a recent interview with TMZ Sports.
“We don’t need Colin Kaepernick on our team,” Smith said.
Smith believes that Kaepernick’s presence could “divide our locker room.”
However, when it comes to Tim Tebow, Jimmy Smith is completely on board.
“We need a guy like Tim Tebow, who’s a hometown hero who has love for the city anyway,” Smith explained.
The left threw a collective fit online after it was announced that Tebow had signed a one-year deal to play for his former coach Urban Meyer in Jacksonville. The accusations ranged from nepotism to outright racism, as Twitter users claimed that Tebow’s opportunity to play in the league after a nine-year absence was an example of “white privilege.”
Smith, however, sees no racial angle to the move whatsoever. Instead, he sees Tebow’s presence as a positive for the team’s young stars.
“He’s going to be a great support for Trevor Lawrence,” Smith said of Tebow’s impact on Jacksonville’s top pick. “Whatever capacity that is, it’s going to be a positive rather than a negative.”
Smith added, “I pray that he makes the 53-man roster because we need all we can get.”
Tebow’s one-year deal with the Jags is contingent on him actually making the team. Unlike Tebow’s previous NFL stint, he will attempt to make the team as a tight end.