USA Rugby says no offer for Tim Tebow, just a tweet

Staff reports | USA TODAY Sports

Now that he's without an NFL job, some may wonder if Tim Tebow is ready to take up a new sport entirely.

On NBC's NFL Kickoff Show, Peter King said Thursday that Tebow has turned down offers to play in the Canadian Football League, has received an inquiry from an NFL team about changing positions, and has an offer from USA Rugby.

Tebow, who was released by the New England Patriots, has said he is continuing to chase his dream of becoming an NFL quarterback.

A spokesman for USA Rugby says there's no offer, only a tweet from the governing body's CEO and president Nigel Melville.

Melville tweeted last Saturday: One door closes, an Olympic Rugby door opens for @TimTebow - we should talk about our global game! @USARugby

Tebow hasn't responded as far as USA Rugby communications coordinator Chad Wise knows. Melville, who has played internationally for England and has coached the London Wasps and Gloucester, said he sent the tweet to let Tebow know "there are other options besides playing football in Canada."

Maybe it's not so hard to imagine Tebow taking up the sport. After all it's just three years before rugby sevens makes its Olympic debut at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Maybe the skills needed to play rugby aren't so far off from professional football. Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was playing for Tiger Rugby this summer.

And at least one former rugby player has been noticed by an NFL team this summer. After boarding a plane for his first trip to the U.S. in July, Kenya's Daniel Adongo has been signed to the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad. Adongo (6-5, 257) is a linebacker who didn't know how to put on his helmet when he landed in Indianapolis a few weeks ago, according to the Indianapolis Star. He recently played for the Southern Kings of Super 15 Rugby and has been part of Kenya's U-18 and U-19 national rugby teams.