As Tim Tebow’s NFL hopes dwindle, a bidding war expected for college broadcasting career

Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is getting closer to giving up his aspirations to play professional football and starting his college broadcasting career, according to a report.

According to TheBigLead.com, ESPN, CBS Sports and Fox Sports have all expressed interest in Tebow joining their broadcast team. The website also reports that ESPN already has a show set in place for him on its new SEC Network.

The Big Lead said ESPN's SEC Network, which will debut next August, wants its own version of "College Gameday," with Rece Davis as host, radio personality Paul Finebaum in the Lee Corso role and Tebow as the show's Kirk Herbstreit.

Of course, there will be a bidding war by the networks for Tebow, who can't find a NFL team to offer him a minimum-salary contract.

CBS Sports, which airs the top SEC game of the week, is “willing to blow up its pregame show” if Tebow joined that network, The Big Lead said. Considering how many loyal followers Tebow has, it makes sense to build a show around him. CBS Sports could instantly attract non-football fans who just want to watch Tebow, which means ratings, and that means advertising money for the network.

No matter which network hires Tebow, it would likely signal the end of his NFL career.

Cleveland, Green Bay, Buffalo and St. Louis are among the teams that had injuries at quarterback this season, but none of them called Tebow. An NFL team could contact Tebow after this season and offer him a contract, but the lack of interest since the Patriots cut him at the end of preseason makes that unlikely. Tebow, a former first-round pick, started for a Broncos team that won the AFC West in 2011 and beat Pittsburgh in a playoff game, but he was a non-factor in 2012 after being traded to the Jets and was cut by New England after an ineffective preseason for the Patriots.

Tebow is a former Heisman Trophy winner and most people identify him with the success he had at the University of Florida, not the NFL. Tebow covering games on Saturdays seems like a perfect fit, which explains why the major networks are after him.

Even though the NFL is not calling, at least there are other companies ready to bid for him.