Tim Tebow’s comeback bid as a tight end in the NFL has come to an end. The 34-year-old former Heisman-winning quarterback was released Tuesday by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Shortly after the announcement from the team, Tebow posted a message on Twitter thanking the organization and citing a Bible verse, Romans 8:28.

“Thankful for the highs and even the lows, the opportunities, and the setbacks. I’ve never wanted to make decisions out of fear of failure and I’m grateful for the chance to have pursued a dream,” he said in one tweet, then added, “Thank you to the Jaguars organization and everyone who has supported me in this journey. And we know that…God works all things together for good. Romans 8:28.”

Thank you to the @Jaguars organization and everyone who has supported me in this journey.

And we know that…God works all things together for good. Romans 8:28

— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) August 17, 2021

Tebow was in on 16 snaps during the Jaguars’ 23-13 loss to Cleveland on Saturday, and he received one target. He did not play on special teams, and his lack of experience in that phase of the game contributed to him getting cut.

“We knew that was an uphill battle for Tim,” said Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer, who also coached Tebow at the University of Florida. “Players loved him, locker room loved him, but it was the right thing.”

Tebow signed with the Jaguars in May, just a few months after retiring from pro baseball because he felt “called in other directions.” With his NFL comeback now over, he is likely to return to broadcasting in his role as an analyst for SEC Network.

In whatever he pursues, Tebow will continue to spread the Gospel. In football, in baseball and away from the games, Tebow has long been one of the most outspoken Christ-following athletes — whether that’s preaching in churches or prisons, producing movies, or spreading God’s love through the Tim Tebow Foundation and its annual Night to Shine events. He is also a three-time New York Times bestselling author.

Fans in Jacksonville were really pulling for Tebow considering he was raised in the area. He was born in the Philippines in 1987 while his parents were serving as missionaries there, but his family moved to Jacksonville when he was 3 years old. He was homeschooled through high school, but starred for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, where as a senior he led the Panthers to a state title, earned All-State honors, was named Florida’s Mr. Football and a Parade Magazine high school All-American.

That Tebow is even alive is a miracle, he says. Tebow’s mother, Pam, was encouraged to abort him as an unborn child because she contracted amoebic dysentery and the medicines used for her recovery threatened her pregnancy.

“You see, my mom 32 years ago had doctors tell her she needed to abort me because if she didn’t, it was going to cost her life,” Tebow said in a keynote address for the Kansans for Life’s banquet held in 2020. “And they didn’t even believe that I was a baby. They thought I was a tumor …

“When I was born, they found out the placenta wasn’t actually attached. So, the doctor looked at my mom after 37 years of being a doctor and said, ‘This is the biggest miracle I’ve ever seen because I’m not sure how he’s alive.’ … I’m so grateful that my mom trusted God with my life and her life.”

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