Russian football team the Moscow Black Storm has insisted that talks with former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow haven't faded. The team remains hopeful Tebow will sign with them after they offered him $1 million to play just two games.
While Tebow's future in the NFL is in doubt following his departure from the New England Patriots after the team cut him in the preseason, Moscow Red Storm owner Mikhail Zaltsman has insisted that talks are still ongoing between the two sides as the team looks to land Tebow.
"I talked with him personally and he wanted to go," Zaltsman told Russia Beyond The Headlines, according to CBS Sports. "[His agents are] thinking of using him as a motivational speaker. They don't want him to play football."
While that may or may not be the case, Black Storm team president Dmitry Popkov, told Russian news affiliate ITAR-TASS that talks between the team and Tebow's agents have continued as the team hopes to land him in time for the American Football Championship of Russia which takes place on Sept. 28.
According to CBS Sports, the article written in Russian translated to English states that Popkov told the news affiliate the team is, "not 100 percent sure whether Tim [will] visit Russia. Negotiations are still underway. First we offered him a certain amount, then this amount increased. It will be clear after September 20 whether Tebow will come here. Our owner is in talks with managers and agents of this player. The funds have already been transferred -- the ball is in Tim Tebow's court now."
The article states that the world could know by Saturday whether or not America's most talked about unemployed signal caller will make the trip to Russia and decide to join the team. Tebow has had many different organizations come after him, including the Los Angeles Kiss of the Arena Football League owned by Gene Simmons, and an unspecified rugby team, but he's turned them all down.
Rumors also surfaced that Tebow may join the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes, who own the rights to him, but reports last week indicated that the team and its owner haven't reached out to Tebow or even ever spoken to him. The door for Tebow to return to the NFL seems closed for now while the door to Russia is wide open.
"He's a real sports star, surrounded by a crowd of agents, that's why negotiations were difficult," Popkov told ITAR-TASS, according to CBS Sports. "Tebow himself, after finding out that people play American football in Russia, was surprised and wanted to see it for himself, to play with Russian players. And then again, an extra million dollars won't harm him. As far as popularizing American football in Russia, he doesn't really care about it. It's interest."
Tebow was a decorated college athlete having won the Heisman Trophy in his sophomore year and becoming the first to ever accomplish that feat at such a young age. His rise to stardom in the NFL occurred when he took over as signal caller for the Denver Broncos and led the team to an AFC West division crown and a stunning playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime in 2011.
His star began to burn out when he was traded to the Jets and barely used last season and subsequently released before signing with the Patriots who released him during the preseason.
Tebow, 26, was used sparingly with the Jets in his final NFL season, throwing the ball just eight times while completing six passes for 39 yards and rushing just 32 times for 102 yards. He had no touchdowns in 2012.
Whether or not Tebow decides to play in Russia remains to be seen, but with his time in the NFL over for now, it'll be interesting to see if he can possibly turn down $1 million for two games.
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