Tim Tebow: Broncos Start Tebow to Please Fans, Not to Save Blown Season

The Denver Broncos are officially starting Tim Tebow. It's a move that delivers short-term results, puts fans in seats and breathes new life into a team that has proven to be indifferent.

Tebow may have his shortcomings, but his attitude is infectious. He's the sort of quarterback who makes everyone want to give it their all, and right now that's exactly what the Broncos need. Kyle Orton is a better quarterback, but he can't touch Tebow's intangibles.

While racking up a few victories and trying not to fall into irrelevancy are the most obvious reasons for this move to occur, this move has more to do with the big picture.

A 1-4 start proves that Kyle Orton isn't the guy. Rather than sit back, let Tebow rot on the bench and Orton fail on the field, the Broncos are giving Tebow a shot and ultimately putting an ad out for their car before they put it on the market.

What does that mean? The Broncos don't believe in Tebow, but there are plenty of quarterback-starved teams who may fall in love with him. The Broncos shelled out a first-round pick for him, but John Elway and John Fox weren't part of bringing him in.

They have nothing to lose by throwing him into the action and increasing his trade value. Elway is going to want to bring in his own guy and this year there happens to be at least three surefire franchise quarterbacks coming out in the draft.

Elway knows quarterbacks and his reluctance to go with Tebow from day one points to the lack of faith he has in Tebow. Just as Elway didn't bring in Fox to take the Broncos to the Super Bowl this season, Elway and Fox aren't bringing in Tebow to make a playoff run.

This move appeases the fan base and provides some much-needed life into the offense. Orton isn't the guy. The Broncos could be plugging Tebow to find out if he is the answer, but a more likely scenario is that the Broncos want another team to fall in love with Tebow so Denver can salvage some of their investment.