Phil Sheridan, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Tim Tebow is Chip Kelly's latest surprise with Eagles

PHILADELPHIA -- Just when you thought Chip Kelly couldn’t top himself after last week, the Philadelphia Eagles coach throws another curveball.

Tim Tebow.

As first reported by ESPN Insider Adam Schefter, the former Heisman Trophy winner worked out for the Eagles on Monday. Tebow, who hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2012 season, left without signing a contract. But considering Kelly’s approach to this offseason, it would be foolish to rule anything out.

Last week, Kelly traded Nick Foles to St. Louis for Sam Bradford, another former Heisman winner. He also re-signed Mark Sanchez, whose one-year deal for 2014 had expired.

Tebow and Sanchez were teammates on the New York Jets during the 2012 season. In 2013, Tebow worked out at the NovaCare Complex with the New England Patriots, who spent three days practicing against the Eagles. Kelly spoke highly of Tebow at that time, but did not sign him during the 18 months since the Patriots released him.

Bradford and Sanchez figure to be the Eagles’ No. 1 and No. 2 quarterbacks. The No. 3 quarterback for the past two years has been Matt Barkley. To complete the picture, there has been considerable speculation that Kelly would like to move up in this year’s draft and take Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. Kelly coached Mariota, another former Heisman winner, for two years.

Tebow, 27, has not signed with another team since trying to make the Patriots’ roster. He worked last year as a color analyst on college football games for ESPN.

With his running ability, Tebow would seem like a perfect fit for Kelly’s spread offense. However, Kelly’s acquisition of Sanchez and Bradford, along with his commitment to Foles, has dashed assumptions about what Kelly seeks in a quarterback. Tebow would reopen that conversation.

Kelly likes the challenge of working with different quarterbacks, tweaking his offense to fit their particular skill sets. It would probably be a personal challenge to coax NFL success out of Tebow, especially after Kelly’s friend and role model, Bill Belichick, could not.

Of course, Kelly’s primary concern is winning games. If he signs Tebow, it would be as competition for Barkley’s No. 3 quarterback job. Kelly could also use Tebow as a change-of-pace player, much as the Jets did in 2012 when Sanchez was their starter. Tebow played in 12 games, throwing eight passes (six were complete) and running 32 times for 102 yards.

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