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Quarterback Tim Tebow will be signing with the New England Patriots and joining their minicamp Tuesday, a person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press.
The person said Monday that Tebow was headed for Foxborough.
Tebow will need to pass a physical before a contract becomes official. Even when Tebow signs with the team, there is no guarantee he will make the Patriots.
One of the NFL's most polarizing players, Tebow spent a lost season in 2012 with the New York Jets, playing sparingly behind struggling starter Mark Sanchez. Some fans thought he got a raw deal and deserved more of a chance; others thought he lacked the skills to be a pro quarterback. He was released in April.
Tebow won two national titles at Florida and was a first-round draft pick in 2010 by Denver. As a rookie, Tebow threw just 82 passes in nine games, starting three. But in 2011, he started 11 games, throwing for 12 touchdowns and six interceptions and taking the Broncos to a wild-card win over Pittsburgh before an AFC divisional playoff loss to New England, 45-10.
Despite the Broncos' playoff run, he was traded to New York the following offseason when Denver signed Peyton Manning. Tebow threw only eight passes for the Jets, completing six, ran 32 times for 102 yards and was used mostly to protect the punter.
Around the league
Saints • Quarterback Drew Brees has sued a former teammate for allegedly advising him to invest $160,000 in tax credits that turned out to be bogus. A federal lawsuit filed in New Orleans on Brees' behalf claims former Saints long snapper Kevin Houser mishandled the star quarterback's money and failed to disclose his own financial interests in the investments he was promoting.
Johnson to jail • Former NFL star Chad Johnson will serve 30 days in jail after violating probation in a domestic violence case involving his then-wife, TV reality star Evelyn Lozada. A plea deal that called for no jail time fell apart Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Broward Judge Kathleen McHugh rejected it after Johnson playfully slapped his attorney on the behind in court. McHugh says Johnson wasn't taking things seriously enough, even after he apologized. McHugh also extended Johnson's probation for three months.
Bills • Buffalo released quarterback Tarvaris Jackson in a move that leaves rookie first-round draft pick EJ Manuel competing with veteran Kevin Kolb for the starting job.
Jets • New York hired former Arizona Cardinals general manager Rod Graves as the team's senior director of football administration. The team announced several moves for new GM John Idzik's front office, including promoting Matt Bazirgan from personnel scout to assistant director of pro personnel. Graves was with the Cardinals for 16 years and served as GM since 2007 before being fired in January a day after the season ended.