The Jacksonville Jaguars did everything they could do to get Tim Tebow, and Shahid Khan would like Tebow fans in the Northern Florida area to know that. Tebow just did not want to come, and so like a beautiful bird, you set it free to travel to the Jersey swamps, rather than give up a third round pick.

Khan’s quotes are from a piece by Tania Ganguli, where she interviewed the owner on the Tebow trade process:

That would have been the worst thing for Jacksonville and the worst thing for him [Tebow]. He didn’t want to come, obviously. … Any one of the 53 players we have, have to be committed to Jacksonville, making us be the best team we are. The question was: Did he want to come? And if the decision had been taken out [of his hands] and we got him, that would not be good for him, or for us.

So, don’t blame Khan, you crazy kids. Khan is a businessman, and as a businessman, he saw the value potential of Tim Tebow and the intense interest it would bring to his franchise. His football people clearly didn’t want the move. Thus, it becomes a chicken or egg thing, if Tebow really had as much influence as this lets on. The Jaguars’ football coaches don’t want him, the owner does, and he would prefer to go to the Jets for those reasons. Khan can say they didn’t give up more because Tebow’s heart wasn’t in Jacksonville; Tebow’s heart may not have been there because he felt the coaches in New York would give him a greater chance.

Still, there are several other interesting tidbits from Ganguli’s article.

  • The Broncos had been quietly shopping the quarterback since February, before the Peyton Manning news was even developing steam;
  • Khan takes a shot at the Jets, who we know screwed up the money issue but insist they knew about it: “Jacksonville football operations has very good legal skills.” It talks about how they clarified with Denver and others began dropping out, but the Jets did not address it.
  • Early in the day of the trade, Tebow was asked if he had a preference (between New York and Jacksonville), and said he did not and the team should do whatever was best.
  • By that night, after the Jets’ money faux pas reopened it, Tebow changed his mind and indicated a preference for New York, believing he would have a better chance to start and that he felt more wanted by the Jets.

Jacksonville was a house divided. Khan wanted Tebow, and the football people did not. Whether you think that was a right assessment by the football people (and I do), that shows a problem with the organization. The owner is now saying it would not have made sense to give up more and force the trade, when Tebow did not want to play there. He didn’t want to play there, I suppose, because ownership and football operations were in split the baby mode.

[US Presswire]