Current Denver Broncos starting quarterback Kyle Orton received a one year extension this afternoon that will likely keep him the team’s starting quarterback through the 2011 season. I’m not sure if this is a sign that the Broncos don’t believe Tim Tebow will be ready to be a starting quarterback this year or next, but it does appear that way. On the bright side, this will give Tim a chance to learn from a veteran quarterback and really work on his mechanics, understanding of the game and reading defenses.
Of course if Orton gets hurt that’s a whole different story.
Still no official word yet on if Tim Tebow will be playing tomorrow night. Some info I’ve read said it’s not likely, but I also saw a press conference with Coach McDaniels that hinted Tim might play in the second half. If he plays I’m sure he will be limited some and told not to run. He’ll probably wear extra padding around his chest to protect his ribs from further injury.
I honestly think it’s for the best. Orton is solid and looks comfortable in McDaniel’s offense. There is nothing wrong with Tebow sitting out the better part of 2 years, especially he has always been considered a “project” to begin with. Urban Meyer’s system, while highly effective in college football is not in any way an NFL-style offense. Alex Smith, another highly touted Urban Meyer QB out of Utah has been in the league for going on 6 seasons now and he is just NOW starting to show signs of promise as an NFL QB. Give Tim time, with his work ethic, it will be worth the extra 12 month wait.
Relax, Tebow fans. This contract has nothing to do with Tim Tebow. They signed Orton to a ONE year contract, not a multi-year contract. Had they done a multi-year then yeah, you could infer a bit from that.
Concerning Orton: He deserves it. He’s poised to have a great year. Injuries are, however, something that has plagued him every year in the league thus far. He’s not mobile in any way and if he sees a lot of pressure this year….you might be seeing Tim sooner than later.
Also, clubs want their QB position to be a position of strength. If you have 2 quality starters on your team (as Orton and Tebow are, IMO – Quinn….not so much…), then every team in the league would like to deal with that “problem”. I could see this situation playing out similar to how the one in San Diego did. Rivers sat behind Drew Brees for a while. Injuries to Brees (in a game at Denver, BTW), inserted Rivers into the game. Another Irony: Brees and Orton both went to Purdue.
So I imagine Tim will eventually get his chance once Orton does down and Denver will never look back.