Tim Tebow

On January 7, 2007, Tebow was featured prominently in an ESPN Outside The Lines feature on home-schooled athletes seeking equal access to high school athletics in other states. Because a home-schooler's access to public and private school athletic functions varies by state, Tebow and former defensive end Jason Taylor (who was allowed to play at his local high school in Pennsylvania) argued in favor of extending the right to play for local teams to more states.[26] Upon becoming the first home-schooled athlete to be nominated for the Heisman Trophy, he remarked, "That's really cool. A lot of times people have this stereotype of home-schoolers as not very athletic – it's like, go win a spelling bee or something like that – it's an honor for me to be the first one to do that."[27] Tebow received the 2008 Quaqua Protégé Award as outstanding home-education graduate.[28]

Despite a strong showing in his first inter-squad scrimmage, head coach Urban Meyer named Tebow second-string behind Chris Leak. A backup throughout the season, Tebow was a significant contributor to the Gators' 2006 success. He made his college debut coming off the bench in a goal line situation against Southern Miss. He rushed for a touchdown on a designed quarterback scramble on his first play.[31] In his next game, he led the team in rushing yards against UCF.[32]

Tebow warming up

Tebow's biggest game in the season came against the LSU Tigers on October 7, where he accounted for all three of the Gators' touchdowns, passing for two and rushing for another.[33] Tebow played a role in the Gators' victory in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game against Ohio State. He threw for one touchdown and rushed for another, finishing with 39 rushing yards.[34] He finished 2006 with the second-most rushing yards on the Gator team.[35]

Tebow (on right, #15), Cam Newton (on far left, #13) and other Gator QBs during pre-game warm-ups

Although questions about his passing skill loomed, Tebow was named the Florida Gators starting quarterback for the 2007 season.[36] He opened the year 13-of-17 for 300 yards and three touchdowns in his starting debut against Western Kentucky University.[37] Tebow finished the regular season with the second highest passing efficiency in the nation with 177.8. Additionally, he averaged 4.3 yards per carry on the ground.[38]

Tebow set numerous personal, school, and national records in the 2007 season, including:

• University of Florida single-game quarterback rushing yards, 166, week 4[39]
• SEC season rushing touchdown record, 20[40]
• Career high single-game rushing touchdowns, 5, November 10
• SEC season total touchdowns (passing and rushing), 55[41]

On November 24, against the Florida State Seminoles, Tebow threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two in a 45–12 rout of the Seminoles. It was later revealed that Tebow fractured his right hand during the third quarter but played the rest of the game. He had to wear a cast for the next three weeks.[42]

After the 2007 season, Tebow was recognized as a first-team All-SEC selection and a consensus first-team All-American.[43] He won the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding college football player of the year. Tebow also received the Davey O'Brien Award, annually given to the best quarterback in the nation, on February 18 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tebow in 2007

On December 8, 2007, Tebow was awarded the Heisman Trophy, finishing ahead of Arkansas's Darren McFadden, Hawaii's Colt Brennan, and Missouri's Chase Daniel. He was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy.[18] He garnered 462 first-place votes and 1,957 points, 254 points ahead of the runner-up, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.[44][45] He finished the regular season as the only player in FBS history to rush and pass for at least 20 touchdowns in both categories in the same season.[46] He had 32 passing touchdowns, 23 rushing touchdowns, and became the third Florida player to win the Heisman Trophy, joining Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel.[47]

Urban Meyer (left) and Tim Tebow after a win on opening day

Before the 2007 season had even come to a close, Florida coach Urban Meyer stated that he would likely use two quarterbacks during the 2008 season to take some of the workload off of Tebow's shoulders.[48] Tebow led the Gators in rushing in 2007[49] but also had to play through a bruised shoulder and broken non-throwing hand.[48] Before the 2008 season even started, Tebow had his name pulled from consideration for the Playboy Preseason All-American team because it conflicted with his Christian beliefs.[50]

On November 1, 2008, playing against the Georgia Bulldogs, Tebow ran for his 37th rushing touchdown, breaking the school record previously held by former Florida running back Emmitt Smith. Tebow helped lead the Gators to a 12–1 record in 2008. After clinching the SEC East title, the team played for and won the SEC title in the 2008 SEC Championship Game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The win secured the #2 ranking in the final BCS standings, which earned the Gators the chance to play the #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game, which they won 24–14.[51]

Tebow finished third in the 2008 Heisman Trophy voting, with Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford taking the top spot followed by Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, despite Tebow receiving the most first-place votes.[52][53] He won the Maxwell Award in 2008, only the second player to ever win the award twice.[54]

On January 11, 2009, at a national championship celebration held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Tebow announced that he would not make himself eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft, but would instead return for his senior season at Florida.[55] A day later, he had surgery on his right shoulder to remove a bone spur in an effort to reduce chronic inflammation.[56]

Tebow opened the 2009 season continuing a streak of throwing and running for a touchdown in blowout wins over Charleston Southern and Troy. He ran for a touchdown in the third game, a win against Tennessee, but failed to throw for a touchdown for the first time since his freshman season. In answer to an interview question, Tebow stated he was a virgin.[58] The statement was subject to much discussion about whether the question was necessary, including criticism of the reporter who originally asked.[59][60][61]

Tebow started against Kentucky despite suffering from a respiratory illness and taking two bags of intravenous fluids before the game.[62] He ran for two touchdowns to put him in 2nd place on the all-time SEC touchdown list and he also threw for a touchdown. Late in the third quarter, he was hit in the chest by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham, fell backwards, and hit the back of his head on the knee of Florida tackle Marcus Gilbert.[62] He lay motionless for several minutes before being helped to the sidelines, where he appeared to vomit.[63] He was taken by ambulance to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.[63][62] A CT scan showed no bleeding in the brain, with the injury described as a mild concussion.[64] Coach Urban Meyer stayed the night in the hospital with Tebow, who was discharged in the morning.[65] Coincidentally, Florida did not have a game scheduled for the following Saturday, and Tebow was cleared to play in the Gators' next contest at LSU on October 10, two weeks after the incident.[66]

On October 31, 2009, while playing against the Georgia Bulldogs, Tebow ran for his 50th and 51st rushing touchdowns, breaking the SEC career record previously held by former Georgia running back Herschel Walker.[67] His penultimate collegiate game, the 2009 SEC Championship, saw him once again facing the University of Alabama. Tebow threw for 245 yards and a touchdown and led the team with 63 yards rushing, but the Gators fell 32–13 and lost their chance to play for a second consecutive national title.[68] Florida beat Cincinnati 51–24 in the 2010 Sugar Bowl the following January. In what was Tebow's last college game, he completed 31-of-35 passes for 482 yards and three touchdowns and accounted for four total touchdowns and 533 yards of total offense, which set a record for a Bowl Championship Series game.[69] He graduated from the University of Florida in December 2009.[70]

At the end of his college career, Tebow held 5 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), 14 Southeastern Conference (SEC), and 28 University of Florida statistical records.[71] He was the SEC's all-time leader in career passing efficiency (170.8), completion percentage (67.1%), passing touchdown to interception ratio (5.5 to 1), rushing yards by a quarterback (2,947), rushing touchdowns (any position) (57), and total touchdowns responsible for (145).[4][72] Among many mentions in the NCAA Division-I record book, Tebow is ranked second in career passing efficiency, third in career yards per attempt (9.33), 8th in career rushing touchdowns, and also owns the record for most consecutive games in which he both threw at least one touchdown pass and scored at least one rushing touchdown (14).[73]

[74]

• SEC All-Freshman Team[75]

Tim Tebow in 2007

• Walter Camp Award finalist[76]
• Heisman Trophy Winner
• Sporting News Player of the Year
• First-team Academic All-American[77]
• Manning Award finalist[78]
• Rivals.com National Offensive Player of the Year[79]
• Rivals.com SEC Offensive Player of the Year[80]
• First-team All-SEC (Associated Press,[81] Coaches,[82] Rivals.com[80])
• Associated Press SEC Offensive Player of the Year[81]
• First-team All-American by: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, CBS Sports, College Football News, Rivals.com, and Scout.com
• Roy F. Kramer SEC Male Athlete of the Year.[83]
• ESPY for Best Male College Athlete[84]

• First-team All-America by College Football News.
• ESPY for Best Male College Athlete
• Heisman Trophy finalist
• Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week[85]
• 2008 SEC Championship Game Most Valuable Player
• First-team All-SEC (AP,[86] Coaches,[87] Rivals.com[88])
• Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year[89]
• First-team Academic All-American[77]

• First-team Academic All-American[77]
• Senior CLASS Award
• Heisman Trophy finalist
• First-team All-SEC (AP,[90] Coaches,[91] Rivals.com[92])
• Second-team All-America (Walter Camp Foundation)
• Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year
• Sports Illustrated College football Player of the Decade[93]

In 2010, a new rule for the next NCAA football season banned messages on eye paint. This rule was dubbed "The Tebow Rule"[94][95][96] by media.[96]

During his college football career, Tebow frequently wore references to biblical verses on his eye black. In the 2009 BCS Championship Game, he wore John 3:16 on his eye black; the verse was the highest-ranked Google search term over the next 24 hours, generating over 90 million searches.[97][98][99][100] Additionally, later, when Tebow switched to another verse, there were 3.43 million searches of "Tim Tebow" and "Proverbs 3:5-6" together.[101] Tebow stated of the searches "It just goes to show you the influence and the platform that you have as a student-athlete and as a quarterback at Florida".[101]

Despite the media labeling it as the Tebow rule, the NCAA denies the rule was influenced by Tebow in particular, since many other notable players (Reggie Bush and Terrelle Pryor for example) wore messages on eye black.[102][103] An NCAA spokesman said: "When this rule was proposed, the committee did not focus on any one team or student athlete. That measure reinforces what the intended use of eye black is, which is to shade the eyes from the sun."[103]

The NFL already had a rule prohibiting players from wearing messages on eye black dating back to Jim McMahon's time with the Chicago Bears, so Tebow could not have continued the practice in the NFL.[96]

After passing on the 2009 NFL Draft for his senior season at Florida, Tebow went on to enter the 2010 NFL Draft. Despite his college success, Tebow's NFL potential was much debated. At the time, Jon Gruden said Tebow was "the strongest human being that's ever played the position" and "is the kind of guy who could revolutionize the game".[104] Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy said he would pick Tebow with a top 10 pick over any quarterback in the 2010 Draft.[105] However, NFL analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. believed Tebow did not have the intangibles to play quarterback in the NFL. "I don't think he can be a fulltime quarterback. I don't think he can be the quarterback of the future for you, but I do think in the third round, maybe the second round, he'll be the same as Pat White", said Kiper.[106]

Tebow was particularly mentioned as a potential third-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, his hometown team. Some, including Florida governor Charlie Crist, suggested that Tebow could be the remedy for dwindling Jaguars ticket sales at EverBank Field.[107]

Early in the 2009 season, Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver stated: "He (Tebow) clearly is an outstanding football player and would be an asset to any football organization. Clearly there's going to be a groundswell for Tebow, and we'll have to make that evaluation if we have a draft pick that's going to be anywhere near him."[108] Not everyone in the organization agreed, as Jaguar lineman Uche Nwaneri posted doubts about Tebow's potential NFL success on his team's website message board.[109]

Tebow during warm-ups with the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in 2010

Tebow was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round (25th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.[112] The Broncos had acquired the pick in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens on the first night of the draft for the Broncos' second, third and fourth round picks.[113] Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels said about drafting Tebow, "He has all the traits you look for. It's a good pick."[114] When asked how Tebow will be used, McDaniels commented that Tebow probably wouldn't start at quarterback as a rookie, and that he'll, "Play when he's ready." The Denver Post columnist Woody Paige praised the pick, saying "Tim Tremendous may be high risk, but he will be a Mile High Reward."[115]

He set an NFL Draft record for jersey sales and continued to have the top selling jersey through the 2010 season.[116]

On July 29, Tebow signed a five-year contract with the Broncos that had a base value of $11.25 million (he could make as much as $33 million through certain performance-based incentives). The contract included $8.7 million guaranteed.[117]

On October 17, Tebow scored his first NFL touchdown, which was a five-yard running play against the New York Jets.[118] On November 14, Tebow threw a three-yard touchdown pass to fullback Spencer Larsen on his first career NFL pass attempt, as part of a 49–29 home victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He also added a one-yard rushing touchdown in the game.[119]

Tebow started his first NFL game on December 19, which was a 39–23 road loss to the Oakland Raiders.[120] He completed 8-of-16 passes for 138 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown pass. He also rushed for 78 yards, 40 of which came on a touchdown run in the first quarter of the game. It was the longest touchdown run for a quarterback in Broncos history and the longest touchdown run in NFL history for a quarterback in his first start.

Tebow's first career victory came in his second start on December 26. The Broncos defeated the Houston Texans, 24–23, in Denver. He helped rally the Broncos from a 17–0 deficit at halftime, as he finished the game with 308 passing yards and one touchdown pass. He also added a fourth-quarter rushing touchdown, which capped the comeback.[121]

Tebow finished his rookie season playing sparingly in six games as a back-up (primarily on plays involving the wild horse formation, which is Denver's variation of the wildcat formation) before starting the last three games of the Broncos' season. He passed for a total of 654 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 227 yards and six touchdowns. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for a touchdown in each of his first three career starts.

Tebow began the 2011 season as the Denver Broncos' backup quarterback, behind Kyle Orton. After the Broncos started 1–3, Tebow replaced Orton at halftime during a home game against the San Diego Chargers in week five. Tebow passed and ran for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, narrowing a 16-point difference to an ultimate 29–24 loss. Shortly afterward, Broncos' head coach John Fox announced Tebow would start in the following game on the road against the Miami Dolphins. Tebow struggled for three-and-a-half quarters against the Dolphins, taking six sacks, but rallied from a 15–0 deficit in the last three minutes to win the game 18–15 in overtime.

Tebow playing against the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2012

The next week, Tebow took seven sacks in a 45–10 loss to Detroit.

On November 6, Tebow rushed for 118 yards, along with passing for 124 yards and two touchdowns, as part of a 38–24 road victory over the Oakland Raiders, second only to Norris Weese in Broncos history for rushing by a quarterback.[122] The Broncos followed with another road win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Tebow completed two passes on eight attempts for 69 yards and a touchdown. His second completion, a 56-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to wide receiver Eric Decker, sealed the game for Denver. Four days later, Tebow was 9-for-20 with 104 yards in a Thursday Night Football home game against the New York Jets. He led a 95-yard, game-winning touchdown drive with less than six minutes to play, capped by a 20-yard touchdown run on third-and-four with less than one minute remaining.[123] Tebow guided the Broncos to another comeback victory the next week—a 16–13 overtime road win over the San Diego Chargers, where he ran the ball 22 times for 67 yards. In the 10th start of his NFL career, Tebow led the Broncos to their third consecutive come-from-behind win at Minnesota, 35–32; followed by a fourth comeback win, this time 13–10 in overtime at home over the Chicago Bears after being shut out for almost 58 minutes.

It was the last regular-season win of Tebow's career. In week 15, Tebow rushed for two touchdowns and completed 11-of-22 passes against the New England Patriots in a 41–23 loss. He was sacked four times in the game and had one fumble. In the Broncos' 40–14 loss to the Buffalo Bills the following week, he had one passing and one rushing touchdown but also threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, and two fumbles. He struggled for a third straight game the following week in a 7–3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, completing only 6-of-22 passes and finishing with a career-low quarterback rating of 20.6, but a loss by the Oakland Raiders clinched a playoff spot for the Broncos in the AFC West.[124] After the three consecutive losses, Broncos vice president and former quarterback John Elway said Tebow was playing tentatively and needed to "pull the trigger."[125][126]

On January 8, Denver hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first round of the NFL playoffs. Tebow completed 10-of-21 passes for a career-high 316 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard touchdown to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime, as the Broncos won 29–23.[126] Media sources noted Tebow's passing yards (316) and yards per completion (31.6) evoked the Bible's John 3:16. The Nielsen ratings for the game also peaked at 31.6. John 3:16 was the top search item on Google the next morning, followed by Tebow and Tim Tebow.[127][128] The next week, Tebow completed just nine of 26 passes and took five sacks in a 45–10 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots which knocked Denver out of the playoffs.[129]

After the season, Elway confirmed that Tebow would be the Broncos' starting quarterback going into training camp in 2012.[130] Despite on-field successes by the Broncos under Tebow, he finished the season with the lowest passing completion rate in the NFL (reaching 50% in just four of his 14 games) which led many to question his potential as a quarterback at the professional level.[131] Tebow's persistent fumbles also created uncertainty about his future as a quarterback.[132][133][134]

After the Broncos signed free agent Peyton Manning, Tebow was traded to the New York Jets on March 21, 2012, along with the Broncos' 2012 seventh round draft pick, in exchange for the Jets' fourth and sixth round picks.[135] Jets special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff stated that Tebow would be used on special teams,[136] while head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Tony Sparano stated that he would also be used in the wildcat formation on offense.[137] The presence of Tebow throughout the season, in which the Jets struggled, created a controversy as the fans and media called for Ryan to bench the inconsistent Mark Sanchez in favor of Tebow.[138]

Tebow suffered two broken ribs during a road game against the Seahawks, but his injury was not confirmed until two days before the Jets' Thanksgiving game against the New England Patriots. He was active despite the injury, which was publicly revealed after the game.[139] Tebow was inactive during the Jets' subsequent game against the Arizona Cardinals in which Sanchez was benched in favor of Greg McElroy.[140]

Westhoff was highly critical of the Jets' use of Tebow in a January 2013 interview on WQAM radio in Miami.[141]

On April 29, 2013, Tebow was released by the Jets. He had thrown only eight passes and rushed 32 times in his one season with the team.[142]

The New England Patriots signed Tebow on June 10, 2013, the day before the team's mandatory minicamp;[143][144][145] Tebow signed a two-year contract with no guaranteed money, although it did have playing time-based incentives in 2014. The move reunited him with Josh McDaniels, who had resumed his positions as Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.[146] Tebow played in the first two of New England's preseason games, against the Eagles and the Buccaneers; he completed just five passes in both games, was sacked several times and intercepted once, intensifying criticism of his football acumen.[147] He went 6-for-11 for 91 yards, throwing a pair of touchdown passes and one interception, and gained 30 yards on six carries against the New York Giants, but he also was sacked four times. He threw a total of two touchdown passes and two interceptions in the preseason and had a passer rating of 47.2 and completed 36.7% of his passes.[148] He was released from the Patriots on August 31, 2013, the day NFL teams were required to cut their rosters to 53. After being cut, he publicly thanked the Patriots organization for the opportunity and stated: "I will remain in relentless pursuit of continuing my lifelong dream of being an NFL quarterback."[149]

Though he began his broadcasting career in December 2013 on the SEC Network, Tebow continued to seek opportunities to resume his career as an NFL quarterback.[150]

Tebow signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on April 20, 2015, and he was in competition with Matt Barkley for the Eagles third-string quarterback job.[151] Tebow played all four games in the preseason with no starts, going 21-of-36 for 286 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, while rushing for 82 yards and a touchdown.[152] He was released by the team on September 5, following the fourth preseason game.[153]

On May 20, 2021, after spending six years out of football, Tebow contacted his former college coach, Urban Meyer, then coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, about returning to the sport.[154] The Jaguars signed him as a tight end to a one-year contract for the veteran minimum of $920,000, none of which was guaranteed.[155][156] The Jaguars released Tebow on August 17, 2021. He had not caught any passes or played on special teams during limited playing time in the preseason.[154]

In early August 2016, Tebow made announcements that he was interested in pursuing a career in professional baseball and invited all 30 Major League Baseball teams to his open tryout at the end of August.[191] Tebow had not played baseball full-time since 2005, his junior year in high school, when he was an all-state player and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim expressed interest in drafting him had he played his senior year.[192] Additionally, he had a tryout with and received interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the 2016 Major League Baseball season.[193] On August 9, Tebow received contract offers (without tryouts) from two minor independent professional teams: the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[194][195][196] On the day before his tryout, Tebow was also offered a contract by Águilas del Zulia, a team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League that plays winter baseball.[197] Tebow held his tryout on August 30 at Dedeaux Field in front of 40 MLB scouts (from 28 of the 30 MLB teams), Dodgers scouting director Billy Gasparino, and 50 members of the media.[198]

On September 8, 2016, Tebow signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets and participated in the Mets' instructional league.[199][200][201] In his first at bat with the organization, on September 28, 2016, Tebow hit a home run on the first pitch.[202] The Mets assigned him to the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League,[203] where he batted .194 in 70 plate appearances, with 20 strikeouts in 62 at bats.[204]

Tebow with Binghamton, June 2018

Tebow spent most of 2017 spring training in the Mets' minor league camp, with a few appearances in major league camp.[205][206] He began the 2017 regular season with the Columbia Fireflies of the Class A South Atlantic League.[207] On April 6, 2017, Tebow hit a home run in his first at bat for the Fireflies, playing against the Augusta GreenJackets.[208] He batted .222 with three home runs and 23 runs batted in for Columbia. On June 25, the Mets promoted Tebow to the St. Lucie Mets of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League.[209] Once again he homered in his first day with his new club, St. Lucie, on June 28.[210] Tebow had a 12-game hitting streak between July 3 and 14.[211] Tebow's performance at the Class A level prompted New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro to deem him a legitimate pro prospect.[212] With Tebow on the roster, the St. Lucie Mets saw their single-season attendance record grow, with an accumulated attendance of over 122,000 as of August 28, 2017.[213] Tebow finished the year at St. Lucie hitting .231, with 5 home runs and 57 strikeouts, in 216 at bats. Tebow expressed interest in returning for another season in 2018.[214]

On January 19, 2018, the Mets announced that they would invite Tebow to major league camp.[215] Despite a poor showing in spring training (1-for-18 with 11 strikeouts), the Mets organization promoted Tebow to their Double-A team, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies of the Eastern League. On April 5, Tebow again hit a home run in his first at bat for a new team; with two men on base, he hit the first pitch over the right-field wall.[216] On June 29, Tebow was named to the Eastern League All-Star Game; at the time, he was batting .261 for the season and .323 in his last 21 games.[217] In the All-Star Game, held on July 11, Tebow went 1-for-4 as the East team's designated hitter.[218]

On July 23, the Mets organization announced that Tebow had broken the hamate bone in his right hand, which required surgery and led him to miss the remainder of the season.[219]

In November 2018, the Mets assigned Tebow to the Syracuse Mets of the Class AAA International League.[220] He spent spring training in 2019 with the New York Mets, and returned to Syracuse to start the 2019 season.[221] On May 18, 2019, the Syracuse Mets held a Tebow bobblehead giveaway for the first 1,000 fans in attendance.[222] Between June 28 and July 5, 2019, Tebow hit three home runs over an AAA six game stretch for the Syracuse Mets, his best performance as a professional baseball player.[223]

On July 21, 2019, Tebow injured his left pinky fielding a ball in the outfield, requiring eight stitches. As a result, he missed the remainder of the 2019 season.[224]

On February 25, Tebow hit his first major league spring training home run,[225] a two-run home run against Detroit Tigers' reliever Alex Wilson.[226]

On February 17, Tebow and the Mets formally announced his retirement from professional baseball.[227]

[228]

Tebow accepted an invitation by the Philippines national team to play on their 2021 World Baseball Classic team. He was eligible to play for the Philippines as he was born there. He was scheduled to play in the qualifying round in March 2020 in Arizona, but the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[225][229]

Tebow is known for his outspoken Christian faith.[241][242] In the Philippines, he preached at schools and villages, and assisted with medical care.[243][244] Tebow supports more than 40 national evangelists working in that nation.[244] In the United States, Tebow has shared his Christian faith in prisons and schools, to church and youth groups, and at meetings and conferences.[241][243]

Tebow is a strong advocate for faith-based abstinence, and has publicly stated that he had maintained his virginity before marriage.[245][246] Tebow has spoken multiple times at events presented by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.[247][248]

An Easter Sunday crowd of roughly 20,000 in Florida listened to Tebow on April 8, 2012. He only briefly mentioned his move from Denver to New York. "Kind of got traded. I'm on another team—excited to be a Jet," Tebow said, adding, "Regardless of what happens, I still honor my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because at the end of the day, that's what's important, win or lose. ... We need to get back to one nation under God, and be role models for kids."[249][250]

Honoring his commitment to his religious beliefs and his humanitarian work, Liberty University awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities to Tebow on May 15, 2021.[251]

Tebow envisioned a foundation to give back to others during his college career, and he, along with other University of Florida students, created "First and 15", raising funds for Uncle Dick's Orphanage[252] in the Philippines, founded by his father's nonprofit association, the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association.[243] He also raised money for Shands Hospital pediatric cancer center in Gainesville and a Disney trip for disadvantaged children. Upon graduation from University of Florida, Tebow launched the Tim Tebow Foundation in January 2010.[253] In 2013, Tebow was designated a Great Floridian by Florida Governor Rick Scott in recognition of his “major contributions to the progress and welfare" of Florida.[254]

CURE and the Tebow Foundation announced plans to build a children's hospital in the fall of 2011 in the Philippines, the country where Tebow was born. The Tebow CURE Hospital in Davao City, on the island of Mindanao, holds 30 beds and specializes in orthopedics. CURE's 12th hospital worldwide, they hoped to heal deformities such as clubfoot, untreated burns, hydrocephalus and other conditions correctable with surgery. The cost of the project, $3 million, came from donations from CURE and the Tebow Foundation. The hospital includes a "Timmy's Playroom".[255]

The Tim Tebow Foundation includes Night to Shine, an event geared to providing those with special needs a safe space to have a prom.[256]