New head coach John Fox insisted in February that the veteran Orton — not second-year pro Tim Tebow — would be his starting quarterback come September, but the sentiment in Denver has reportedly changed.
NFL sources say that Tebow is now the frontrunner for the starting job, and the Broncos are now actively looking to trade Orton, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
Orton has made it clear that he does not want to back up the former Florida star. He is coming off the best two seasons of his career, throwing 41 total touchdowns with only 19 interceptions, but it appears that the Denver organization will now put its stock in Tebow, whom the Broncos drafted 25th overall in the 2010 draft.
Several teams are in the market for a quarterback in this abbreviated free-agency period and could make an offer for Orton, including the Vikings, Seahawks, Cardinals, Redskins, Dolphins and Bengals.
If Orton is dealt, that leaves Denver with only two quarterbacks on its roster: Tebow and Brady Quinn, who was acquired prior to last season for Peyton Hillis, one of the most one-sided trades in recent memory. Quinn has not played a down since 2009.
