‘Didn’t think twice’ – Bill Belichick made Tim Tebow give up $1 million then cut him

Bill Belichick earned a fearsome reputation as a disciplinarian during his time with the New England Patriots.

The veteran coach is embarking on a new journey in college football and will look to win his debut for the first time ever as UNC takes on TCU on Monday.

Horned Frogs coach Sonny Dykes has no idea what to expect when arguably the greatest NFL coach of all time takes charge of a Tar Heels team with 70 roster changes since 2024.

He conceded: “Hard to game-plan. I mean, we don’t have really much of an idea exactly what we’re going to see … you know?”

Belichick‘s ability to control the narrative has come under question as speculation over girlfriend Jordon Hudson’s role in his affairs refuses to die down.

But once upon a time, he ruled with an iron fist — a reign that brought six Super Bowls to Foxborough.

Tim Tebow found out the hard way after heading to New England off the back of a season as Mark Sanchez’s backup with the New York Jets.

The former Denver Broncos quarterback’s presence led to a media circus calling for him to replace the struggling Sanchez — a situation Belichick was keen to avoid.

Belichick signed Tebow in June 2013 to work behind Tom Brady — already a three-time world champion.

The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner later revealed that his new coach asked him to ‘go under the radar’ during his time with the team.

“I remembered when I had signed with the team in June,” Tebow wrote in his book Shaken. “Then I’d had an offer on the table to make a one-day appearance endorsing a product for a million-dollar paycheck.

“I’m sure you’d agree that a million bucks is a lot to make in just twenty-four hours. But I wasn’t quick to say yes.

“So when the offer for the one-day commercial turned up, I was sure to discuss the opportunity with him. ‘I want to know what you think, Coach,’ I said. ‘I respect you and I want to fit in. I want to be one of the guys. Should I do it?'”

Getty

Getty

Belichick asked Tebow to take one for the team and urged him not to do the commercial.

“Highly respecting the man, I turned down the deal. I didn’t even think twice about it,” he explained. “I wanted the chance to impress Coach Belichick more than I wanted the money.

“I’ll say that if I were on any other team, I would have probably said yes to the offer. But the thoughts he offered in our initial conversation mattered to me — even more than a million dollars.”

Tebow started two preseason games for the Patriots and was cut by August.

After a brief stint on the Philadelphia Eagles‘ practice squad, Tebow signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets in 2016.

NFL's Greatest......

Ranking the top 10......

Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?

Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?

Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and more

Tight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?

He was accused of using his name to get a shot he didn’t deserve, but proved to be popular with teammates and drove huge crowds to games.

He played for the Mets Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse in 2019 but didn’t do enough to step up to the majors.

The 6ft 3in QB left the NFL for the second and final time in 2021 with almost $10 million in career earnings having failed to earn a spot on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster.

Most importantly, he has no regrets over turning down the lucrative commercial.

Speaking 10 years later, Tebow confirmed that the decision was worth it even if he had just a 1 percent chance of starting for the Patriots.

The University of Florida standout arrived in the NFL with a huge reputation after being taken with the 25th overall pick by the Denver Broncos..

John Gruden said the dual-threat superstar was “the strongest human being that’s ever played the position” and “is the kind of guy who could revolutionize the game.”

But Tebow didn’t live up to the hype and was eventually replaced by Peyton Manning before heading to the Jets.

Getty

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023 and joined ESPN as an analyst in 2013.

Belichick and Brady won three more Super Bowls together before the iconic passer parted ways and won another title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The iconic coach is now in charge of the University of North Carolina but former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski thinks he has lost one of the skills that made him so successful.

“When you were on the Patriots, the whole goal was to eliminate all the distractions that can possibly happen while you’re on the team,” Gronkowski told 98.5 The Sports Hub.

“And don’t bring those distractions to the team and in the locker room, and we’re just looking down at the program in North Carolina and it feels like there are just distractions 24/7 down there. There’s no football talk as well.”

We’re about to see if the old dog still has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for news, exclusive interviews and more.