Tim Tebow Fans Will be Pleased With QB's Last Effort to Make Philadelphia Eagles as Final Cuts Loom

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (TheBlaze/AP) — Tim Tebow insists he never lost his passion for playing while he was out of the NFL.

He's also not ready to say goodbye to football just yet, sprinkling in a little classic Tebow Time for at least one more night.

Tebow threw two touchdown passes and an interception in his final opportunity to make Philadelphia's roster, and the Eagles fell to the New York Jets 24-18 in the teams' preseason finale Thursday night.

Quarterback Tim Tebow #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks to pass against the New York Jets in the fourth quarter during a preseason game at MetLife Stadium on September 3, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)

"I don't know if this rekindled it, because I think I always had it," Tebow said. "Sometimes when things are taken away, you realize how much you really do love it."

Tebow, competing with Matt Barkley to be the Eagles' No. 3 quarterback, flashed some of the playmaking skills and maddening inconsistency that have made him so polarizing. He finished 11 of 17 for 189 yards — with a few scattered throws, including one wayward toss that landed in the MetLife Stadium stands — and added 32 rushing yards on four carries against the Jets (3-1).

.@TimTebow can't throw with touch? 45-yard bomb. Watch the placement. #PHIvsNYJ https://t.co/IIeT0hGKou

— NFL (@NFL) September 4, 2015

"I'm not going to worry about what I can't control," Tebow said. "It's a blessing to be able to come out here and play the game I love. It was a lot of fun out there tonight and I had a blast."

Tebow finished the preseason 21 of 36 for 286 yards, including the TD passes to Rasheed Bailey and Freddie Martino on Thursday night. He had 82 yards rushing on 14 carries.

.@TimTebow came here to stand in the pocket and throw touchdowns. You're welcome to watch the show. #TebowTime https://t.co/p8NqVA22Ew

— NFL (@NFL) September 4, 2015

Tebow last played in a regular-season game with the Jets in 2012. He was a training camp cut by New England in 2013. He worked as a college football analyst on the SEC Network last year, but maintained his dream of making it back to the NFL.

The Eagles signed him in April, and now Chip Kelly must decide whether it's Barkley, who was 4 of 9 for 45 yards and an interception, or Tebow behind Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez for the Eagles (3-1).

"Everything goes into the decision," Kelly said of evaluating the roster. "It just can't be one game, this is it, make or break. This isn't 'American Idol.'"

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