The day Denver Broncos fans have been clamoring for has finally arrived. Tim Tebow, the team's rookie quarterback, will make his first NFL start Sunday against the rival Oakland Raiders.
ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news on Saturday. Tebow had been taking most of the practice reps with the first team this week after Kyle Orton, the team's regular starting QB, hurt his ribs in last week's loss to Arizona.
The Broncos surprised most observers when they took Tebow in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. The Heisman Trophy winner and two-time national champion had established a reputation as one of the great college players of all time, but many questioned his ability to succeed in an NFL offense. Tebow, despite his celebrity, was viewed as a long-term project who was unlikely to pay dividends for the Broncos for at least a few years.
However, the team's plan to keep Tebow on the bench in favor of veteran Kyle Orton has been openly questioned by fans as the Broncos stumbled to a 3-10 record.
Still, Eric Studesville, the interim head coach promoted after the firing of Josh McDaniels, has repeatedly said that Orton would remain the starter as long as he's healthy. The Denver Post reported late Saturday that Orton would test his ribs on Sunday before the game, but the team didn't expect him to be healthy enough to play.
On Sunday morning, Tebow, a devout Christian, tweeted "Psalms 3:24," the biblical verse that reads "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
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