Case Keenum marks 16th Starting Quarterback since Elway
By Andrew Wade
Jay Cutler
The four years leading up to the Manning era are four years I would like to have back as a Broncos fan. The 2007-2010 Denver Broncos remind me of today’s San Diego Chargers. They are just never taken seriously. They can’t seem to get above .500.
Upon Jake Plummer’s departure, Shannahan spent two more seasons in Denver before the infamous Josh McDaniels took over. Thankfully, McDaniels time in Denver ended quickly.
Jay Cutler appeared to be the future franchise quarterback of the Denver Broncos after three seasons in the league. In his sophomore and junior season, Cutler threw 45 touchdowns, 32 interceptions, and 8,000 yards combined. He was selected for the Pro Bowl after his junior year.
The reckless play was there, but the play-making was also there too—Brett Favre-esque. In that time, Denver went 15-17. Shannahan’s tenure was finally terminated at the conclusion of 2008.
Unfortunately for Cutler, those are two of the best seasons Cutler has had in the NFL. The following offseason was a weird situation of controversy and rumors, ultimately leading to Cutler getting traded to the Bears.
Kyle Orton
It’s not often that teams swap starting quarterbacks, but the Bears and Broncos did exactly that in the Jay Cutler trade. Kyle Orton headed to Denver to assume the starting quarterback position under Josh McDaniels. Orton rewarded McDaniels for his faith and turned in the best season of his career.
Orton started 28 of the next 32 games throwing for 7,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only 21 interceptions. Although Orton was putting up career numbers, the Broncos were struggling to win games.
In Orton’s first season, Denver pounced out to a 6-0 start. Analysts pegged Denver as an early Super Bowl favorite and McDaniels as boy genius in his first season as head coach. The happiness and excitement of the new reign quickly tumbled down to reality.
After the 6-0 start, the Broncos proceeded to 6-20 over the next season and a half. McDaniels was fired partway through the 2010 season, and when the 2010 season was lost, Tim Tebow received a few starts to see what he brought to the table. Spoiler alert: Tebow didn’t bring much.
In 2011, Orton got off to a poor start in John Fox’s first year and was benched after five games. Tebow subsequently “carried” the Broncos to a playoff berth. In November, Denver decided Orton’s time as a Bronco was over and released the quarterback.
Chris Simms
The former Texas star was signed to back up Kyle Orton in 2009. He had one opportunity to start while Kyle Orton was dealing with an ankle injury. He didn’t make the most of it.
Simms went 2-4 for 10 yards and Denver decided an injured Orton was a better option than the health Simms.
He was released the following offseason and spent only one more year in the NFL before becoming a NFL analyst.
Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow is arguably the most controversial Denver Broncos quarterback on this list due to his dismal statistics but incredible results in the win-loss column. Tebow was drafted too early by Josh McDaniels when selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
When Denver’s season got off to terrible start (they finished 4-12), Tebow took over at the end of the season. His performance was indicative of what was to come. His rookie season ended with a stat line of three starts, 654 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The next season Tebow began as the backup to Kyle Orton, but after another poor start, Tebow got his chance to shine. In a terrible AFC West division, the Broncos went 8-8 and won the division. Denver’s team was predicated on an opportunistic defense and late game luckiness.
Tebow completed only 46.5 percent of his passes for under 2,000 yards. However, he did manage to throw 12 touchdowns to only six interceptions. On the ground, he accounted for 660 rushing yards at a 5.4 average.
In the playoffs, Tebow willed Denver to an overtime victory of the Steelers with a miraculous catch and run play by Demaryius Thomas. That would be Tebow’s last win as a Bronco. Denver was blown out by New England in the divisional round and Tebow was trade the next offseason to the Jets.