Tim Tebow was released on Tuesday after one preseason game with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

Tim Tebow, 34, had a way of hanging around. When he didn’t immediately turn into a superstar N.F.L. quarterback, Tebow sat on the bench behind Kyle Orton until his chance came. When he didn’t fit the classic quarterback model, he won games with guile, luck and, some contended, magic. When football turned its back the first time, he tried baseball. Then Tebow gave football one last shot, as a tight end.