The Sports Xchange

Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tim Tebow received a standing ovation from fans Sunday as he took the field for the first time in his return to the NFL.

Tebow entered the preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lincoln Financial Field with seven minutes left in the third quarter.

Tebow threw for 69 yards on 6-of-12 passing and ran for a 7-yard touchdown in his first game in two years as the Eagles beat the Colts 36-10. He carried the ball four times for 15 yards.

“It was fun,” Tebow said after the game. “Playing ball. I loved it. You want to be focused on footwork, reads, communication with everybody but also enjoy the moment. You won’t always have it.”

The former Heisman Trophy winner was the third Eagles quarterback to play in the game, following Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley.

Starting quarterback Sam Bradford, who was obtained in a trade with the St. Louis Rams in the offseason, did not play Sunday. Bradford is recovering from a torn left ACL, but he is expected to play Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens in the second preseason game.

Since last appearing in a regular-season game for the New York Jets in 2012, Tebow joined ESPN as an analyst for the SEC Network in 2014, where he primarily worked on “SEC Nation.”

Tebow, who turned 28 on Friday, signed with the Eagles as a free agent in April after not playing last season.

—New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith said he “feels great” following jaw surgery after being punched by a teammate last week.

The New York Post caught Smith throwing to a friend on Saturday at his apartment complex near the Jets’ training facility in Florham Park, N.J. — only two days removed from surgery.

“I feel great,” he told the newspaper. “You see me throwing, right?”

Smith had his jaw broken in two spots when he was on the wrong end of a punch in the locker room thrown by teammate IK Enemkpali on Tuesday. The Jets immediately released Enemkpali after the incident and he was claimed on waivers by the Buffalo Bills.

Doctors inserted plates and screws during Smith’s surgery Thursday but did not wire his jaw shut. The Jets previously said Smith is expected to be out six to 10 weeks.

—Cleveland Browns backup quarterback Connor Shaw suffered a broken right thumb in the preseason opener and will undergo surgery this week.

In Thursday night’s preseason game against the Washington Redskins, Shaw sustained an injury to his thumb. He completed 5 of 10 passes for 64 yards in the third and fourth quarters.

Shaw doesn’t know how he broke the thumb, according to Cleveland.com. Shaw thinks he either fell on it or hit a helmet with the thumb.

The Browns announced Sunday that Shaw is expected to miss an extended period of time.

“I feel for Connor because he has worked extremely hard,” Browns head coach Mike Pettine said. “He’s a competitor and has had a great offseason and a good camp so far. He is good for the quarterback room and it’s unfortunate that this injury won’t allow him to compete.”

Josh McCown has been designated the starter for the Browns, ahead of Johnny Manziel. Shaw’s injury leaves Thad Lewis as the lone third-team quarterback on the roster.

—The Browns signed linebacker Everette Brown and defensive back Aaron Ross.

In addition, the team waived offensive lineman Joe Madsen and defensive lineman Christian Tupou.

—The Washington Redskins signed free agent tight end Ernst Brun, placed tight ends Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen on the reserve/injured list, and waived running back Silas Redd Jr.

Brun, a rookie out of Iowa State, tried out for the team Sunday and was signed the same day.

Paul suffered a broken left ankle in Thursday’s preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, and Paulsen is undergoing season-ending surgery for a turf toe injury.

Redd Jr. sustained a torn right ACL during in the preseason game against Cleveland.

—The Atlanta Falcons signed cornerback Travis Howard, linebacker Terrell Manning and running back Evan Royster.

The team also released offensive lineman DeMarcus Love.

—The Buffalo Bills added kicker Dan Carpenter to the active roster and he was back practicing with the team Sunday for the first time in training camp.

Carpenter was on the non-football injury list. He sustained a hamstring injury just before camp during individual training.

—The Miami Dolphins waived offensive tackle Chris Martin on Sunday.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Martin signed with the Dolphins as a free agent on July 29. He originally signed with the Houston Texans in 2014 as an undrafted college free agent out of Central Florida.