If the Chicago Bears end up making the playoffs with Kyle Orton at quarterback, they’ll owe John Elway a huge thank you. Because Elway and the Broncos just made Orton available on waivers to any team who wants him.
The obvious question, other than ARE YOU READY FOR MORE TEBOW!?, is why now? Why take a proven NFL starter and just give him away in the middle of a playoff run?
Maybe it pained the former Broncos star to see Orton wasting away on the bench, with so many teams — CHICAGO BEARS — in the playoff hunt, and in desperate need of a quarterback. Maybe Elway realizes that whether or not Tim Tebow is the future in Denver, he’s too popular not to play out the season with. Or, maybe Elway is just being canny and looking to save a few bucks.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter speculates that it’s the latter, suggesting that the Broncos are hoping one of these desperate teams picks up the rest of Orton’s salary, reportedly in the $3-$4 million dollar range.
Here’s a quick roundup of his potential suitors:
CHICAGO BEARS (Likelihood: very high)
This just makes too much sense to not happen. Caleb Hanie had a few minutes of fame stepping in for Jay Cutler in last year’s playoffs, but he isn’t a guy you want to lean on. Orton had a ton of success as a starter in Chicago, even as he was being bounced back and forth from the starting lineup. He is in a contract year and would have a fantastic high-profile opportunity to prove his worth as a starter to next year’s teams.
Offensively, the transition from Josh McDaniels’ Patriot-based offense to Mike Martz’s seven-step drop vertical attack would be more complex than might first appear. The two coaches come from very different coaching trees and use very different terminology, but once Orton mastered the language, the feel of the offense should be pretty familiar.
The trouble for Chicago is that their appearance in the NFC Championship game gives them a very high waiver priority. And if you’ve played the waiver wires in fantasy football, you know that high numbers are bad.
HOUSTON TEXANS (Likelihood: uncertain)
As strange as it sounds, early reports from Houston suggest that Gary Kubiak is comfortable going with Matt Leinert. Moreover, Matt Schaub hasn’t been ruled out for the playoffs, and the Texans have a strong enough foundation on offense (i.e. Arian Foster, Ben Tate, and their offensive line) and defense to make Orton a luxury, not a necessity.
However, count NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan among those that believes the Texans need a QB of proven quality to take them to the next level. Schaub is one. Orton is one. Leinert is not.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS (Likelihood: impossible to tell)
@FantasyDouche: I am reporting that the Redskins plan to claim Kyle Orton off waivers and he will likely start at running back on Sunday.
This decision could be a critical one for Daniel Snyder and Mike Shanahan. Mad Mike may be fine with his quarterback carousel, and may even be happy losing the rest of the way out and positioning the Redskins for a run at USC’s Matt Barkley or Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.
However, the Redskins’ front office has already been deeply divided on veteran quarterbacks before. Remember when the Redskins traded for Donovan McNabb, then refused to let him talk in team meetings, then played him, then benched him, then signed him to a huge extension, then benched him again, then let him go to Minnesota for a sixth-round draft pick? We might see a similar push and pull again, with Orton in the middle.
The Redskins have a high waiver priority, and money to burn. For Orton’s sake, you have to hope they pass, though.
