Tim Tebow signs with New England Patriots

Tim Tebow is officially a member of the New England Patriots.

The Patriots announced Tuesday morning that the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback out of Florida has signed with the team, although contract terms were not disclosed.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that it’s a two-year contract with no guaranteed money.

In just three NFL seasons, Tebow has become one of the most popular yet polarizing players in league history. His quarterbacking skills at the pro level have always been debatable, yet he had a run of success in his two years with the Denver Broncos that included a playoff victory.

Last season with the New York Jets, however, was a disaster, with Tebow barely seeing the playing field and eventually being unofficially relegated to the role of third-string quarterback. He was released by the team in April.

Many have speculated that Tebow would find more success if he switched positions, but he has always maintained that he wanted to be an NFL quarterback. And according to Schefter, that’s what Patriots Coach Bill Belichick has signed the free agent to be -- in a backup role behind Tom Brady, of course.

Which means we might not be seeing Tebow on the field for quite a while, even if he does beat out Ryan Mallett for the No. 2 QB spot.

And as former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer told The Times’ Sam Farmer, that’s just the way it should be for now.

“It’s what should have happened when he first came out,� Dilfer said. “He’s a developmental player as a quarterback, and he’s going to a team that believes in developing players. They believe the NFL’s a developmental league, which the good teams do.

“He’s going to take that and sit and watch ... a guy who cares about mechanics more than anybody, Tom Brady. He’s not going to be expected to play, and he’s going to get scout-team reps.�

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