AP

Tim Tebow is joining ESPN.

Tebow, who has been out of work since the Patriots cut him at the end of the preseason, will make his ESPN debut next week when he contributes to pregame coverage of the BCS National Championship Game. ESPN’s announcement of Tebow’s hiring says that he will have responsibilities to the network during next year’s football season, but Tebow’s own statement indicates that he also still holds out hope to be playing in the NFL next year.

“I am so excited that ESPN has given me this incredible opportunity,” Tebow said in a statement. “When I was six years old I fell in love with the game of football, and while I continue to pursue my dream of playing quarterback in the NFL, this is an amazing opportunity to be part of the unparalleled passion of college football and the SEC.”

Realistically, it’s unlikely that Tebow will be in the NFL next year (although his old coach Josh McDaniels might try to bring him to Cleveland), so it’s good news for him that he now has another way to make a living. Tebow’s public statements tend to be bland and free of controversy, which wouldn’t seem to make him a good fit as a TV commentator, but his following is big enough that he’ll immediately become one of ESPN’s most popular on-air personalities.