Tim Tebow: Are Denver Broncos Looking to Future or Is Kyle Orton Just That Bad?

When Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton was benched in his team's Week 5 game against the San Diego Chargers, it came in response to a first-half performance in which the starter went 6-of-13 for 34 yards and an interception and saw the team down 23-10.

But when he was replaced, not by No. 2 quarterback Brady Quinn but by the third-string Tim Tebow, the crowd cheered.

Perhaps that fan response is what head coach John Fox was looking for—it at least explains, in part, why he picked Tebow over Quinn. Ultimately, however, that decision was about winning.

Granted, Tebow didn't put on the most stellar performance, but he did just enough to put the Broncos back in the game, threatening a come-from-behind win. Tebow went 4-of-10 for 79 yards, with one passing and one rushing touchdown that brought the final score to 29-24 in favor of the Chargers.

While that's not necessarily the most sustainable performance, it was clearly better than the struggling Orton, who has been disappointing all season long.

On the year, Orton has completed just 58.7 percent of his passes and is averaging 195.8 yards per game. He's thrown eight touchdowns, seven interceptions and lost two fumbles. Obviously, Orton ceased to be helpful to his team.

So yes, Orton really is that bad this season.

But why Tebow and not Quinn? Quinn, like Orton, is slated to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year—neither have any chance of being the future of the Broncos passing game. On the other hand, Tebow's on the second year of a five-year deal.

Tebow may not be in Denver longer than this season either, but that's no reason to deny him playing time.

Starting Tebow over Orton for the remainder of the year serves a number of purposes. Most immediately, it's to replace the struggling Orton.

Also, by giving Tebow playing time, the Broncos can properly evaluate what they have in the young quarterback and how well he can handle leading an NFL team.

In my opinion, the Broncos chose to start Tebow over Quinn as Orton's replacement simply to determine what kind of value they have in him. If he performs well, perhaps they can keep him and start him for the remainder of his contract.

Or, if they want to move forward from the whole mess and he plays well, he has added trade value by proving himself on the field for 11 full games.

Either way, there's no reason to rest what is likely a lost season on the shoulders of two quarterbacks with one foot already out the door.

Sure, Orton has faltered, and he wouldn't be benched otherwise. But Tebow's takeover is more than just a personnel decision—it's about business as well.