Tim Tebow: John Elway Endorsement Means Tebow Is Denver Broncos' Long-Term QB

According to an AP article on ESPN.com, John Elway is moving forward with Tim Tebow under center:

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"In an interview with The Associated Press, Elway gave his strongest indication yet that he believes Tebow can morph from a scrambling quarterback into a pocket passer, which suggests he won't be spending a high draft pick on another QB in April."

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The article quoted Elway:

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"Tim Tebow's not going anywhere," Elway said.  "I mean, he's going to be a Bronco and we're going to do everything we can and hopefully he's that guy."

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So there you have it, Broncos fans.  For as much potential as Tebow has, it's certainly nice to know that his Hall of Fame boss is backing him now.

What's also great here is a previous statement by Elway about the 2012 offseason.

In an article by Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, Elway says he is going to work with Tebow to develop through the offseason:

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"Elway said he plans to 'spend a lot of time' with Tebow and Broncos quarterbacks coach Adam Gase."

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Marvez went on to quote Elway about where Tebow needs the most work:

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"I don’t believe you change a throwing motion.  I do believe you can really help your accuracy by your feet," Elway said.  "That’s where, to me, Tim has so much upside.  He’s improving.  It’s just a matter of getting it burned into his reactions and mind."

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So, adding this on top of Elway's interview with the AP, the Broncos finally have a franchise quarterback.  And this is what Denver, or any team for that matter, needs.

Since Elway retired, the Broncos have won just one playoff game (2005 Divisional) in four appearances, but have yet to place a quarterback under center for the long-term. 

First it was Jake Plummer, who lasted from 2003-06 and led Denver to three straight playoff appearances, but he retired and Jay Cutler was slated to take over.

Well, once Cutler took over, the Broncos had a high-powered offense, but couldn't get into January. 

In the Cutler/Kyle Orton-era, from 2006-10, Denver never finished better than 9-7 (2006) and went an abysmal 4-12 in 2010. 

Shortly after the 1-4 start in 2011, Orton was benched and Tebow took over. 

Long story short, Denver is on the cusp of winning its first division title since 2005.  Orton and Cutler are both gone and the Mile High City is on cloud nine atop the AFC West.

Now, regardless of how this season pans out, how Tebow produces in the 2012 season is the deal-breaker. 

His passing ability still needs a lot of work and doing so will only make him that much more dangerous because of his rushing threat.

That being said, this offseason is crucial.  Given time to develop, if Tebow does not perform next fall, the Broncos will start off slow once again. 

However, he's not going to be one of those quarterbacks who hits 3,000 yards every year either.

For Tebow, 2,000 to 2,500 is perfect; he'll gain an additional 500 to 700 on the ground. 

But if this dismal completion percentage of 48.6 percent doesn't consistently improve, as well as the mechanics, the Broncos will be looking for another quarterback sooner than later.

Nonetheless, Broncos' fans have every right to feel optimistic about Tebow. 

He's winning without much of a passing game right now, he'll be working with Elway this offseason and the defense has been improving enough to revive the Orange Crush's relevance once again.

Next season is going to be a revealing one because Denver will either take a step back if Tebow doesn't develop, or become one of the AFC's best teams. 

To that end, here's to hoping it's the latter since Tebow has become one of pro football's most interesting players to watch.

Follow John Rozum on Twitter @ Sportswriter27