Why Tim Tebow Will Not Be a Denver Bronco in 2012

Time is running out on Tim Tebow’s career as a Denver Bronco.

The man who brought him in as the Broncos' first-round pick last year, Josh McDaniels, is long gone. The man in his place, John Fox—and more importantly, the man making the decisions upstairs, John Elway—will look to trade Tebow in the offseason.

This is all just my opinion, but Tebow doesn’t seem to be getting anything close to a ringing endorsement from Fox or Elway.

He was dropped to third string in the preseason. Kyle Orton could not produce wins, and the public outcry for Tebow became so loud that Fox and Elway couldn’t ignore it.

What did they have to lose at that point? This is someone neither of them would’ve picked up in the first place.

If he fails, bench him and tell the public, “Hey, we gave him a shot.” If he plays well, his trade stock goes up.

Now, after each game we hear things like, “Tim Tebow is our starting quarterback, for now” or we’re taking it “week-to-week.”

Tim Tebow just played his best game as an NFL quarterback Sunday with a win at Oakland to bring the Broncos one game out of first place in the AFC West. This team somehow has a chance to make the playoffs.

Fox and Elway said after the game that Tebow was on a short leash, and would’ve been pulled for Brady Quinn had Tebow not improved from the last couple weeks.

Elway said after the game that Tebow’s completion percentage “...Has to get higher. I don’t think you can win consistently throwing 50 percent.”

Fox also said after the game that the passing game must get better.

Ideally, Elway and Fox would have the prototypical drop-back pocket passer who can run a pro offense. Right now, they are playing a college-style offense. They know that NFL defenses will figure this offense out without a good passing game. They know that Tim Tebow cannot be that guy.

They knew it in preseason, and they know it now.

After their biggest win of the season—a possible season-saving victory on the road—would he still be the starter “for now” and on a “week-to-week” basis?

Fox and Elway are just covering their butts—making sure they can say, “We gave him a shot. He couldn’t cut it.”

Now this is all speculation on my part, but don’t you think Elway would like to trade for the rights to that No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft? The Stanford quarterback legend picking up another Stanford quarterback legend.

Hey, it could happen.

Even if it doesn’t, Denver will have someone other than Tim Tebow under center in 2012.