I feel bad for Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton. I really do. Despite the fact that he’s put up some pretty impressive stats during his time with the Broncos—at least as far as fantasy football owners are concerned—Orton’s time in the Mile High City is quickly running out. With every snap of the ball, he’s getting closer and closer to playing his final down with the team. Because it seems that no matter how well he does for the team, the fans in Denver want to see Tim Tebow play. And they want to see him play now.

Now, don’t it twisted. Orton hasn’t exactly been John Elway during his tenure with the Broncos. In fact, he’s been far from perfect on the field and he hasn’t led the team to, well, anything. Orton is yet to lead the Broncos to the playoffs. This season, they look headed down the same path, destined to be a 4-12 or, at best, a 5-11 team at the end of the year. Which is why just about everyone in Denver wants to hand the ball over to Tebow. And, you know what? I think they should do it. Or, better yet, I think that they might as well.

They did it during the fourth quarter of yesterday’s game against the San Diego Chargers and Tebow provided an immediate spark for the team. After falling behind 26-10, the Broncos stormed back to make the game 26-24 and, if not for a failed two-point conversion that was dropped by Broncos receiver Brandon Lloyd, the team would have tied the score and possibly forced overtime. It was exactly what the team needed at the time. And while it’s not necessarily an indication of how Tebow will do moving forward, it was an exciting moment for Broncos fans and one that they’d like to, at the very least, have a chance of replicating every week.

So, I say: Let the Broncos try Tebow out again after their bye week next Sunday. Listen, Orton has been serviceable for the Broncos. If the team had a stronger defense and a few more weapons for him to use, he might even be a guy that could lead the team to the playoffs. He’s obviously got some skills under center. However, it’s clear that the team is going nowhere with him taking the snaps. They’re not very much fun to watch. They’re not winning. And, honestly, they’re not doing themselves any favors by holding Tebow back and going with Orton.

The truth is that there’s a very good chance that Tebow won’t work out in Denver. Despite his competitive nature and his talents on the football field, there’s a pretty good chance Tebow could struggle to keep the Broncos relevant in the standings, just as Orton has. But as long as he’s playing, the Broncos fan base is going to be happy. They’re going to come out to games to see him play and they’re going to be excited about what might happen on the field. And, right now, that’s more than I can say for Orton.

The Tim Tebow era is coming. Whether the Broncos like it or not, they need to give him the opportunity to succeed on the field and they need to give him a chance to prove that he can play for them in the future. Otherwise, they’re going to continue to upset their fans and, worse, they’re going to set themselves back if Tebow does, in fact, prove that he’s not their long-term solution.

As I said, I feel for Kyle Orton. I really do. In any other situation, he would remain the quarterback for the entire NFL season because he really is a better option than Tebow. But with the fans clamoring for more Tebow and Tebow delivering a spark to the team on Sunday, the Broncos have no choice but to play him. So, can they please just decide to do it already?

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