The Jaguars wanted Tim Tebow.

But Tebow wanted to play for the Jets, and new Jacksonville owner Shad Khan didn't want his organization to trade for a player who'd rather be elsewhere.

"That would have been the worst thing for Jacksonville and the worst thing for him," Khan told the Florida Times-Union. "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."

The Jaguars were willing to offer more than the Jets to land their hometown hero from Denver. Jacksonville had a higher fourth-rounder than New York and was willing to commit $3 million instead of $2.5 million. But Tebow knew the Jets' coaching staff, which is why he decided New York would be a better fit.

"It's well-thought, it's logical, we've offered more money and we have a higher draft pick," Khan told the newspaer. "It's up to the player. It's not up to me. We've done everything.

"In a way, this turned out great. If he doesn't want to come here we would have blown through a draft pick, blown through money, because cash and salary cap, you've blown through all that and we have a player who doesn't want to be there. From their viewpoint that is a far, far better alternative."

The Jaguars owner told the newspaper that Tebow wouldn't have been guaranteed to be the starter.

"We were not going to say coming in, 'He's slotted at whatever,'" Khan said. "We have two quarterbacks now that we're committed to. He would have to compete with them."