Orton the odd man out?

Kyle Orton | Broncos

The Denver Broncos' naming of Tim Tebow as the starting QB for the duration of the 2010 season was met with joy from the millions of Tebowmaniacs across the globe -- they're like Hulkamaniacs, except instead of ripped t-shirts they have these, and instead of taking their vitamins, they can supplement with FRS.

But there is a downside for another Bronco in the wake of the decision. So what will become of Kyle Orton, who looked about as good as any other NFL QB earlier this season?

According to ESPN AFC West blogger Bill Williamson the future does not look bright for Orton to stick in Denver, especially since they can just bring Brady Quinn back on the cheap to act as Tebow's caddy. Then again, given all the teams in need of QB help, Orton may land a lucrative deal elsewhere.

- Tim Kavanagh

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ORTON AT A GLANCE:

• A sixth-year quarterback whose .604 career winning percentage (29-19) as a starter with Denver (2009) and Chicago (2005-08) is the eighth-best figure in the NFL among active players and includes a .792 mark (19-5) at home that ranks third in the league among current players.
• Owns a 39-to-3 career touchdown-to-interception ratio (13.0) in the red zone for his career that ranks fifth in the league among active players.
• Set personal bests in nearly every statistical category with the Broncos in 2009, totaling the most passing yards by a player in his first year with the club in team history with a career-high 3,802 yards that ranked sixth among all players in franchise annals.
• Registered 10 games with a passer rating of at least 90.0 with Denver in 2009, tying a club single-season record (T-5th in NFL for the year), while being intercepted on just 2.2 percent (12-of-541) of his passes for the third-lowest rate in team history (6th in NFL for the year).
• Opened his Broncos career in 2009 by leading the team to six consecutive wins, which tied for the second-longest streak by a quarterback in his first year with a new team to begin a season since the 1970 NFL merger.
• Guided the Bears to a winning season in each of his two years (2005, ‘08) with the club as a full-time starter, including the 2005 campaign when he registered a 10-5 record in 15 starts for a Chicago squad that won the NFC North title.
• Set a Chicago franchise record for consecutive passes without an interception (205) in 2008 while also ranking second in the NFL with a 116.1 passer rating in the first quarter.
• Guided the Bears to eight consecutive wins as a starter in 2005 that marked the second-longest winning streak by a rookie quarterback since the 1970 NFL merger.
• Started for three seasons at Purdue University, finishing his collegiate career ranked third in school history in both passing yards (9,337) and touchdown passes (63).
• Joined the Broncos on April 2, 2009, in a trade with Chicago that brought Orton, first-round picks in the 2009 and ‘10 NFL Drafts as well as a third-round selection in ‘09 to Denver in exchange for quarterback Jay Cutler and a fifth-round pick in the ‘09 NFL Draft.
• Selected by Chicago in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Signed by Chicago as a a draft choice 7/25/05; Traded to Denver 4/2/09.

QUICKLY: Orton, who was acquired by Denver in a trade with Chicago on April 2, 2009, is 32-29 (.525) as a starter in his career, including a 21-9 (.700) mark at home... Set personal bests in passing attempts (541), completions (336), completion percentage (62.1), passing yards (3,802), passing yards per attempt (8.9), touchdowns (21) and interceptions percentage (2.2) in 2009… Ranks fourth among active quarterbacks (min. 180 att.) with a 52-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the red zone… One of two quarterbacks in team history (John Elway, 1997) to record 10 games with a 90+ passer rating in a single season as he did in 2009… Registered the third-lowest interception rate (2.2%, 12-of-541) in team history during the 2009 season… Ranks fifth in the NFL with 3,653 passing yards … Was the only quarterback to throw for 300+yards in four of his first five games in 2010 and is one of just 13 players in NFL history to do so… Ranks second in the NFL with 35 completions of 25+yards and is tied for third with 11 completions of 40+yards… Tied a Broncos franchise record with four consecutive 300+yard games (Brian Griese, 2002) from Weeks 2-5… One of just four players in NFL history to begin a season with five consecutive games of 295+yards passing… First quarterback in Broncos history to start a season with a QB rating of 89.0 or higher in each of the team's first five games… Ranks fourth among quarterbacks in first-down rushing efficiency (min. 20 att.) with nine first downs on 22 carries (40.9%)… Is the fastest player to complete 500 passes as a Bronco, doing so in just 23 career games with the team… His six games with 300+passing yards are second most in a single season in Broncos history … Serves as a Broncos team captain for the second consecutive season in 2010.

2010: Orton led the Broncos on three scoring drives, including a 4-play, 74-yard touchdown drive at the end of the first half, in the season opener at Jacksonville (9/12). The quarterback completed a league-best five passes of 25-yards or more. In the home opener against Seattle (9/19), he finished with the third-highest single-game passer rating (117.7) in his career, while leading the Broncos on five scoring drives, including three consecutive scoring drives in the first half. The quarterback threw multiple touchdowns in a game for the 16th time in his career. Against Indianapolis (9/26), Orton set career highs in passing attempts (57), completions (37) and yards (476). He connected on a season-long 61-yard completion to WR Brandon Lloyd in the third quarter to set up Matt Prater's 34-yard field goal. The quarterback tied a career single-game high for the second time in 2010 with five 25-plus yard passes to bring his NFL-leading total to 13 in 2010. He registered his second career 400+yard game and fourth career 300-plus yard game. At Tennessee (10/3), Orton threw for 300-plus yards for the third consecutive week, marking the fourth such streak in Broncos history. His 341 passing yards were his third-highest single-game total and he recorded his 17th career multi-touchdown performance. The quarterback added two 25-plus yard completions to push his 2010 total to 15, which is tied for the league lead (Philip. Rivers, S.D.). Orton threw for 300-plus yards for the fourth consecutive week at Baltimore (10/10), marking just the second such streak in Broncos history. He connected with WR Brandon Lloyd on a 42-yard strike in the second quarter for his first TD of the game and found Lloyd again with a 44-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to register his third multi-touchdown game of the season and his 19th career multi-touchdown game. Orton finished with a passer rating of 100.0-plus for the 10th time in his career. The quarterback set a career high with 22 yards rushing on two third-down scrambles, both resulting in first downs against the New York Jets (10/17). He also completed two 25-plus yard passes to bring his season total to 21, which ranks second in the league. Against the Raiders (10/24), Orton threw multiple touchdowns for the fourth time in 2010 and 20th time in his career. He completed three 25-plus yard passes to bring his season total to 24, which ranks second in the league and threw his 500th completion as a Bronco on a 27-yard touchdown to RB Knowshon Moreno in the third quarter to become the fastest quarterback in Broncos history to complete 500 passes with the club, doing so in just 23 games. At San Francisco (10/31), Orton connected with Brandon Lloyd on the team's longest completion of the season, a 71-yard third-quarter strike down to the 49er's 1-yard line that led to QB Tim Tebow's 1-yard rushing touchdown on the subsequent play. He topped the 300-yard mark for the fifth game of the season, which ties for second most 300+yard games in a single season in Broncos annals. Orton completed four passes of 25+yards to push his season total to 28, which tied the league leader (Philip Rivers, S.D.). Against Kansas City (11/14), Orton became the second quarterback in team history to throw three first-quarter touchdown passes, connecting with RB Knowhon Moreno, WR Brandon Lloyd and WR Jabar Gaffney to give Denver a 21-0 lead in the opening quarter. He added another scoring completion to Lloyd in the fourth quarter, finishing with a career-best four touchdown passes en route to his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor. Orton's 154.9 first-quarter rating was the highest in Broncos history and ranked 13th in NFL history (min. 10 att.) since 1991 and his 146 first-quarter yards rank second in Broncos history (Plummer, 155 vs. Phi. 10/30/05) since 1991. He became one of eight players (9 instances) in NFL history to throw three first-quarter touchdown passes without an interception since 1991 as he finished with his second-highest career passer rating (131.5). At San Diego (11/22), Orton connected with Lloyd for a 13-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter. Against St. Louis (11/28), Orton led the Broncos on a fourth-quarter comeback attempt, outscoring the Rams 20-3 in the game's final period, when Orton threw all three of his touchdown passes. He surpassed 300 yards passing for the sixth game of the season, which ranks second all-time in Broncos history.

2009: Orton, a Broncos team captain, played all 16 games (15 starts) for Denver and completed 336-of-541 (62.1%) passes for 3,802 yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for an 86.8 passer rating... Added 24 rushes for 71 yards (3.0 avg.)... Set career highs for pass attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdown passes and passer rating while tying his career low for interceptions... Totaled the sixth-most passing yards for a season in team history (most by a player in his first year with the team, 2nd to only Brett Favre, Min., among NFL peers for 2009)... Tied a club record with 10 games with a passer rating of at least 90.0 that tied for fifth in the NFL for the year... Registered a 2.2 interception percentage that ranked third in team history and sixth in the NFL for the season... Joined John Hadl (L.A. Rams, 1973) as the only players in the NFL since 1960 to throw for at least one touchdown with no interceptions in each of his first four games with a new team... Tied for the second-most consecutive wins (6) by a quarterback in his first year with a new team to begin a season since the 1970 NFL merger.... Opened his Broncos career with an 87-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokley at Cin. (9/13) that was the longest game-winning touchdown from scrimmage in the final minute of the fourth quarter of a game in NFL history... Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week (first such honor of his career) vs. N.E. (10/11) after completing 35-of-48 (72.9%) passes for 330 yards (2 TDs, 1 INT, 96.7 rtg.) and leading Denver on 90 and 98-yard touchdown drives in the second half... Forced out at Was. (11/15) after injuring his ankle on the final play of the first half... Did not start vs. S.D. (11/22) because of an ankle injury but finished the game after entering the contest in the second quarter... Set career highs in completions (32), attempts (56) and passing yards (431) vs. K.C. (1/3).

2008: Orton started all 15 games played for the Bears, leading the club to a 9-6 record in those contests... Totaled the fourth-most completions (272) for a season in Chicago annals, completing 272-of-465 (58.5%) passes for 2,972 yards that marked the sixth-best season total in Chicago annals... Totaled 18 touchdown passes along with 12 interceptions for a 79.6 passer rating... Tied for second in the NFL among quarterbacks with three rushing touchdowns... Set a Chicago record for consecutive passes without an interception (205) with his streak beginning vs. Phi. (9/28) and ending at Min. (11/30)... Did not throw an interception in nine starts to tie for the fourth-highest total in the league... Ranked second in the NFL in first-quarter passer rating (116.1), completing 67-of-95 (70.5%) passes for 780 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions in the opening period... Registered the three best passing yardage totals of his career in three consecutive weeks (Games 5-7), including a personal-best 334 yards at Det. (10/5) for his first 300-yard passing game as a pro... Threw a career-high three touchdown passes vs. Phi. (9/28).

2007: Orton saw time in three games (3 starts) for the Bears, completing 43-of-80 (53.8%) passes for 478 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions (73.9 rtg.)... Led Chicago to a 2-1 record in his three starts, which occurred in the club’s final three games... Inactive for Games 1-9 and 11-13... Did not play at Sea. (11/18).

2006: Orton served as Chicago’s third quarterback for all 16 games as well as its three playoff games, including Super Bowl XLI vs. Ind. (2/4).

2005: Selected by Chicago in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft, Orton led the Bears to the NFC North title as a rookie by posting a 10-5 record in 15 starts... Guided Chicago to a 7-1 mark in eight starts at home... Completed 190-of-368 (51.6%) passes for 1,869 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions (59.7 rtg.)... Set franchise rookie records for quarterback starts, quarterback wins, pass attempts, completions and passing yards while tying for the most touchdown passes by a rookie in club annals... Guided the Bears to an eight-game winning streak (Games 5-12) that marked the second-longest winning streak by a starting rookie quarterback since the 1970 NFL merger (Ben Roethlisberger, Pit., had a 13-game winning streak in 2004)... 10 wins set an NFL rookie record for victories by a quarterback drafted in the fourth round or lower... Became the first Bears quarterback to start more than 13 games in a season since 1995 (Erik Kramer, 16 starts)... Completed 15-of-29 passes for 145 yards with one touchdown vs. Bal. (10/23) to earn Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors... Did not play at G.B. (12/15) and in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game vs. Car. (1/15).

COLLEGE: Orton was a three-year starter at Purdue University, finishing his career ranked third in school history in passing yards (9,337), touchdown passes (63) and completion percentage (58.8 / 786-of-1,336)... Ranked fourth in Big Ten Conference history in career passing yards... Posted 9,653 yards of total offense to rank second in Purdue annals behind Drew Brees (12,692)... Registered the fourth-most career 300-yard passing games (7) in Purdue history, including one 500-yard game (school-record 503 yds. as a senior vs. Indiana) and two 400-yard games... Had only 2.1 percent of his career passes intercepted (28-of-1,336)... Threw for a career-high 3,090 yards on 236-of-389 (60.7%) passing with 31 touchdowns and five interceptions as a senior... Named the “Most Fearless Quarterback in the Big Ten Conference” by The Sporting News as a junior... Tied a school bowl record with two rushing touchdowns against Georgia in the Capital One Bowl as a junior despite suffering a dislocated left thumb, sprained toe and cracked rib in that game.

PERSONAL: Orton attended Southeast Polk High School in Runnels, Iowa, where he was ranked as the second-best quarterback in the nation by SuperPrep and listed among USA Today’s Super 25 prospects... Completed 208-of-450 (46.2%) passes for 3,176 yards with 24 touchdowns and 18 interceptions during his prep career... Earned honorable mention all-state and first-team all-conference recognition as a senior... Received the team’s Coaches Award (leadership on and off the field) and Fit-to-Hit Award (player who conditioned himself the hardest)... Also lettered in basketball, tennis and track... Named a Student-Sports All-American... Grew up a big Nebraska fan and wore jersey number 18 through most of his football career as a tribute to former Cornhuskers quarterback Brook Berringer, who led the Cornhuskers atop the polls in 1994 but died in a plane crash (4/18/96)... Enjoys bowling, reading and spending time with his family... Interested in environmental causes and worked with an organization called Cool Globes in Chicago... Involved with Denver Rescue Mission... Father, Byron, played football at South Dakota... Majored in history at Purdue... Married to Bridget... Kyle Raymond Orton was born on Nov. 14, 1982, in Altoona, Iowa.