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John Elway was quiet about Tim Tebow's future during the 2011 season. Elway opted to focus on the present.

However, Elway didn’t wait long after the season ended to commit to Tebow moving forward. Elway said in a news conference Monday that Tebow has earned the right to be the Broncos’ quarterback heading into training camp.

Some folks may take that as Elway hedging his bets a bit because he didn’t commit to Tebow as the certain 2012 starting quarterback in Denver. But the fact that Tebow is going to camp as the starter is truly all he can ask for. Elway’s announcement means that the Broncos want him to be their starter in 2012 and that they will build their team this offseason with the hopes that Tebow will be the starter.

No team wants to plan to have one quarterback be the starter going into camp only to replace him later. Thus, Denver plans on Tebow being its starting quarterback in 2012.

It’s the right move. Yes, he was up-and-down in 2011, but he’s young. He has started just 16 games in the NFL. His first-year totals compare favorably to those of Hall of Famers Elway and Steve Young.

Elway is right. Tebow earned more time. And it’s no surprise he will get the chance to further prove himself. I will be back with more later on this story.

The Denver Broncos’ AFC divisional playoff loss at New England was Tim Tebow's 16th NFL start.

Thus, the 2010 first-round pick has started the equivalent of one full NFL season.

There were many ups and downs for Tebow during the 16-game run, in which he led Denver to a 9-7 record. Denver was 4-14 in 2010 and 2011 without Tebow as its starter.

Tebow’s statistics in his 16 starts were a mixed bag.

While Tebow needs to work on his accuracy and consistency, he has done a good job not throwing interceptions. He has thrown for 2,835 yards and 19 touchdowns while being intercepted nine times.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Tebow’s first 16-game numbers compare favorably to the first 16 games of two Hall of Fame quarterbacks with whom he is often compared — John Elway and Steve Young. The Elway comparison is relevant in that Elway played for Denver and is now the Broncos’ main decision-maker. Young, like Tebow, was a left-handed quarterback who made plays with his feet.

Elway threw for 2,448 yards, 10 touchdown passes and was intercepted 21 times in his first 16 games. Young threw for 2,722 yards, nine touchdown passes and had 16 interceptions in that span.

Does this mean Tebow is on a Hall of Fame pace? Of course not, but it shows that he did some good things — and that he isn’t the first quarterback in history to have his early-career trials and tribulations.

Just how long can this Denver Broncos circus act last?

It is officially time to wonder what kind of damage the Broncos could administer if they actually get into the playoffs -- and how they match up against the best teams in the AFC.

After going 7-1 with Tim Tebow as the quarterback and riding a six-game winning streak (including the past four games in which they trailed in the fourth quarter, only the second time in history that has happened), the Broncos are on pace to win the AFC West and be the No. 4 seed. Denver -- which has a 78.8 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN.com's Insider Playoff Predictor -- leads Oakland by one game in the AFC West. If Denver beats Kansas City at home in Week 17, the Raiders will have to finish with a better record than the Broncos to win the division because of tiebreakers.

The Broncos will face their greatest challenge of the Tebow run Sunday, when they host 10-3 New England. In the most anticipated game of Week 15, we stand to find out a lot about the Broncos, who are winning with a wicked combination of Tebow’s late brilliance, the league’s best running attack, timely, stiff defense and clutch special teams play, all guided by first-year coach John Fox and his staff in one of the best coaching runs in the NFL this season.

Denver doesn’t necessarily have to win this game to win the division, but if the Broncos can stick with the Patriots, it could send quite a message about their readiness for January football. Because Denver is winning with complete football, it is taking on the look of a team no one wants to see on the same side of the playoff bracket.

“My head says it will end this week, but my heart says they have a real shot,” Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. said. “I think it’s going to end every week, and then it just goes on. I talk to a lot of smart football people every day and no one has any answers for it. But we’re buying in. I think this game against New England should be the end, but I can also see Denver pulling it off.”

Part of the phenomenon that has been the Broncos' season is the evolution of expectations for them. After a 45-10 drubbing by Detroit on Oct. 30 in Tebow’s second start, the Broncos were 2-5 and had the look of a team that would be picking in the top five and looking for a new quarterback in the offseason. Analysts gave the Broncos no chance. And they weren’t alone: I remember talking to several people in the Broncos’ organization that day, players included, and despair hovered over the team.

Since that day, however, the Broncos have mesmerized the league and caused several analysts to change their tune. ESPN analysts and previous Denver skeptics such as Merril Hoge, Steve Young and Trent Dilfer all said on the air this week that they are buying into what Tebow and his teammates are doing. When asked on ESPN this week if he could see Denver ending up in the Super Bowl in less than two months, analyst and former NFL head coach Herm Edwards responded this way: “I can’t say no."

Beyond the comebacks, the Broncos are answering a lot of questions. Against Oakland (a 38-24 win) and Minnesota (35-32), they proved they can outscore teams. Against Chicago, Denver proved it can win when Tebow has to throw 40 times. And Denver is 5-0 on the road with Tebow as the starter. What might make Denver tough to beat in the playoffs is that it is playing at a high level in all areas, as this ESPN Stats & Information post explains.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he is not taking the Broncos lightly going into Sunday’s game.

“They’re a good football team and they’re playing great,” Belichick told reporters this week. “They’re well-coached; solid team. Defensively they do a lot of things well. They run well. They have good pass-rushers, cover well. They’ve made a lot of big plays, third-down stops, short-yardage, goal-line, red area, turnovers. They’ve made them all at the right times. They’re real good on special teams, good coverage team, good kickers and good returners. Offensively they do a good job of running the ball, getting it down the field. They have a lot of long passes. Again, they’ve made the big plays when they had to in critical situations at the end of the game, fourth quarter, overtime, third down, all those kind of things. They’re at the top of their game.”

How Denver hangs with New England should provide some gauge of its playoff hopes. But what about against other AFC big hitters -- Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Houston?

“It’s like the Patriots, I don’t like their chances,” Horton said. “But then again, I do like their chances because of what the Broncos have done in the past six weeks. I think Denver’s strategy in every game will be to keep it low.”

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. doesn’t think Tebow could win in the playoffs against the Ravens, Steelers or Texans.

“I can’t say I see Tebow doing well at all against any of these three defenses,” Williamson said.

Haven’t we been saying that for weeks?

“I’m dumbfounded," Horton said. “But I’m not going to underestimate Denver anymore. Maybe they won’t do anything if they get to the playoffs, but did you ever think we’d even be talking about them having a chance at the playoffs this late in the season?”

How long will the Denver Broncos' option offense work?

The team clearly hopes it works as long as possible, hopefully through this season so the Broncos can make their final decision on quarterback Tim Tebow's future in the offseason.

Denver coach John Fox believes it's the offense Tebow is most qualified to run right now. So it's either option or bust for Denver.

“We’re just trying to win football games, that’s all we’re trying to do, take advantage of the guys on our football team and utilize their talents the best we can to win,” Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy recently told reporters in Denver.

With the 5-5 Broncos in the AFC West hunt -- they are 4-1 in Tebow’s five starts – there’s little chance the Broncos will risk changing the offense now. There’s not enough time to make Tebow an NFL-quality pocket-passer during the rest of the season.

While Denver has been hot, relying on the option offense is still a major risk in the final six weeks of the season. What if the San Diego Chargers completely shut down the option offense on Sunday?

After the Broncos had terrific success using variations on the option at Oakland and Kansas City, it was shut down for a big portion of Denver’s Week 11 game against the New York Jets. But the offense clicked when Tebow led an aggressive, 12-play, 95-yard drive that culminated in a 20-yard touchdown run by Tebow.

The truth is, the Broncos have become better in every phase of the game since Tebow took over. The key for him is to continue to buy himself time. For each victory, Tebow will earn another chance to convince Denver football leader John Elway he can be the long-term solution at quarterback.

Despite the win-loss success, there have been red flags. Tebow has had a completion percentage of less than 50 percent in all four victories. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is only the second quarterback to do that in four wins in one season in the past 20 seasons -- and there’s plenty of time left in this season.

The legendary Elway is one of the strongest-armed quarterbacks ever to play. He can’t be thrilled to see his first team as an NFL executive play leatherheads football. Who would have ever thought an Elway team would be a gimmick-led offense? Shannon Sharpe -- a fellow Hall of Famer who was one of Elway’s favorite targets -- said Denver’s current offense is straight out of the “Big Eight days." After he watched the offense beat his brother Rex’s Jets, Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said seeing the option offense in the NFL made him “vomit.”

Elway is clearly not convinced, either. He angered many Denver and Tebow fans earlier in the week when he said on radio that he is not yet committed to Tebow for the long term. In the meantime, Elway and his staff have scouted many of the top collegiate quarterback prospects this fall.

It’s difficult to find anyone who thinks the option offense can really fly in Denver in the long term. Countless analysts have panned the offense, calling it nothing more than a survival move. Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN analyst Steve Young was one of the most ardent opponents of the idea. He said several times on the air that it is a disservice to Tebow because it is stunting his development and he guaranteed it will not work for the long haul. ESPN’s Merril Hoge and Mel Kiper have also chimed in with similar thoughts.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. agrees. He can’t see the Broncos’ offense lasting even long enough to let the Broncos overtake first-place Oakland (6-4) in the division race. Plus, Williamson is unsure if Tebow can withstand the pounding he’ll take using this offense the rest of the season.

“I do not think it can be the long-term answer,” Williamson said. “The quarterback just takes too much of a beating and this league is won through the air.”

The key for Denver to continue to have success with the offense for the rest of the season, Williamson said, is to add wrinkles. The Broncos added different option plays each week and that probably will continue Sunday at San Diego after a 10-day break since the Jets game.

For the team’s short-term success and Tebow’s long-term future, the Broncos must continue to develop their take on this ancient offense or the back-to-the future experiment could all go away in a cloud of dust.

On "NFL Live" Friday, ESPN analyst Jerry Rice explained that when the 49ers transitioned from Joe Montana to Steve Young at quarterback, Rice and his fellow receivers had to make an adjustment to the left-handed Young.

Rice said the spin of the ball is different when thrown by a left-handed quarterback than it is with a right-handed quarterback. Left-handed quarterbacks are rare; Rice said it took a lot of repetitions for him to get used to Young’s ball.

Why is this important now?

Well, Rice was talking about how Denver’s receivers will adjust to life with new starting quarterback Tim Tebow. Like Young, Tebow is a lefty.

Shortly after Denver drafted Tebow in 2010, I did a column on left-handed quarterbacks and how their teammates must adjust to them. In the end, everyone involved said the adjustment period is initially awkward but it doesn’t last long.

In other AFC West news:

Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel is happy for college roommate Carson Palmer’s opportunity in Oakland.

The Broncos feel healthy heading into Sunday’s game at Miami.

In a conference call with some Kansas City Chiefs’ season-ticket holders, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Chiefs’ owner Clark Hunt talked about the importance of parity in the NFL.

• Second-year Kansas City cornerback/returner Javier Arenas is helping victims after he survived a devastating tornado in Alabama recently. Thanks to the reader who pointed this compelling article out to me.

• The San Francisco Chronicle looks at the Raiders’ late picks in last weekend’s draft.

• Check out Adam Schefter’s short list of the teams that where Oakland free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha could land.

• Denver Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little is returning to his alma mater to be an assistant to the athletic director.

• The Denver Post gives Broncos’ fans a chance to get to know second-round pick, UCLA safety Rahim Moore.

• It looks like tight end Brad Cottam is going to attempt a comeback in Kansas City after missing last season with a neck injury. Why else would he be working out with his teammates?

• San Diego kicker Nate Kaeding is working out with several other kicking specialists in California during the lockout.

CHICO, Calif. -- Craig Rigsbee called Ed Rodgers for directions to his house in the winter of 2001.

With directions in tow, the head coach of the highly successful Butte College Roadrunners hung up the phone, walked out his house, took a short stroll to the next cul-de-sac and began the only true college football recruitment Aaron Rodgers received in high school.

And so started the rise of this idyllic Northern California college town’s most successful athlete.

“That’s Chico,” Rigsbee said. “I just walked over there.”

Rodgers‘ journey to the center stage of Super Bowl XLV as the Green Bay Packers' quarterback and his status as the man who allowed the state of Wisconsin to successfully move away from Brett Favre began humbly and with long odds.

Asked last week if Rodgers had the look of a future elite NFL quarterback when he entered high school, Ron Souza -- Rodgers’ high school quarterback and baseball coach -- grew quiet. After a pause, Souza answered honestly and apologetically.

“No, I couldn’t say that,” Souza said. “He was a talented kid and a very hard worker, but I don’t think you could predict what he’d become. No offense to Aaron. I guess we all missed on him.”

Souza shouldn’t be so hard on himself. When Rodgers entered Pleasant Valley High School, he was 5-foot-2, 130 pounds. He didn’t stand out from the other freshman athletes.

Rodgers, the middle of three late-blooming boys (which includes current Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers), grew steadily, but he was never an imposing figure in high school. He was about 6-foot, 170 pounds in his senior season, Rigsbee said.

Unlike so many future professional sports stars, Rodgers wasn’t exactly a household name in his hometown as a high school player. He was known as a talented player, but going to watch Rodgers play wasn’t must-see entertainment on Friday nights in Chico.

Rodgers –- now one of the NFL’s most rugged quarterbacks at a strapping 6-foot-2, 225 pounds -- attended the University of Illinois’ camp his senior season, but the school’s interest in him waned because of his lack of size. Rodgers was a 3.9 GPA student in high school, was involved in Young Life and had (and still has) a pristine reputation in the community. He had the off-field tools to go to any school out of high school that he wanted. He just didn’t have the on-field interest.

Rigsbee was basically recruiting Rodgers against himself. Despite his lack of ideal size, Rigsbee saw a strong-armed player with a natural aptitude for the quarterback position. He stayed on Rodgers’ trail for months, making a point to attend every one of Pleasant Valley’s baseball games in the spring of 2002. With his high school football career over, Rodgers picked up a baseball for the first time in five years that spring. He suddenly was throwing 91 miles per hour as a pitcher and having success as a switch-hitter with some pop.

“Finally, one day Aaron said to me 'Coach, you don’t have to come to my games. I’m coming to Butte,’” Rigsbee recalled.

So, Rodgers traveled the short rural highway ride south to Butte to begin his college playing days. He is five days from becoming the second high-profile former Roadrunner to play in the Super Bowl, joining former Dallas superstar guard Larry Allen, who played at Butte in the early 1990s.

Rodgers -- who was then recruited by Cal when Bears coach Jeff Tedford went to Butte to watch another player -- is clearly proud of his humble beginning. He regularly wears Butte College shirts in interviews and texts his former coach to make sure he noticed the Butte love.

The feeling is mutual in Chico.

This may be San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders territory -- Chico is about a two-and-a-half hour drive north of the Bay Area -- but Chico is all about the Packers and its hometown kid.

“There is a lot of green and gold walking around Chico these days,” Chico Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Jolene Francis said. “This is a Packer town.”

Pleasant Valley had a “Green and Gold” day the Friday before the Packers beat Chicago to advance to the Super Bowl. There is a Facebook initiative for everyone in Chico to wear Packer colors to work this Friday in support of Rodgers. The local sports memorabilia stores can’t keep Green Bay items on the shelves. Sports bars are crammed for Green Bay games and Ed Rodgers said he has been told there is a water tower just west of town that has been freshly painted with a giant “G” on it.

“Chico is really excited for Aaron,” Ed Rodgers said. “It seems like everybody has become Packer fans”

Several Green Bay-themed parties are planned for Sunday in the city. “If there are any Pittsburgh parties in town, I don’t know of anyone who’ll be showing up,” Francis said.

The San Francisco Giants’ improbable World Series Championship run caught the imagination of this city. The Giants chose Chico as one of the 13 cities to bring the World Series trophy to as part of a celebration tour in January. Thousands of people lined up to get a glimpse of the hardware. Rodgers apparently has the same effect on the town.

“I think Aaron is even bigger,” said friend Matt Hock, the director of the local Young Life chapter. “I think Aaron going to the Super Bowl blows the Giants winning the World Series out of the water here, and that was a big deal in Chico.”

The city plans to have a parade in Rodgers’ honor sometime this spring, win or lose Sunday. Rodgers’ parents still live in Chico, where Ed Rodgers has a successful chiropractor practice. Aaron Rodgers doesn’t live in Chico during the offseason, but he does regularly visit. He has an annual golf tournament in the spring to benefit Young Life.

“Everyone who knows Aaron has nothing but good things to say about him,” Francis said. “We are so proud of him and the attention he has brought our city for being such a stand-up young man.”

Souza jokes that Chico and Green Bay are sister cities. Souza said Rodgers has told him the two cities are similar because of their small-town feels. Chico’s population is 87,000-plus. It is a spread-out town known for Chico State University, Sierra Nevada beer and now a Super Bowl quarterback.

Rigsbee credits Rodgers for showing the college football world that it is worth traveling north of Sacramento for talent. Among those who have been recruited from the area after Rodgers are journeyman NFL backup quarterback Brett Ratliff, Oregon receiver Jeff Maehl (who is expected to be a mid-round draft pick in April), Jordan Rodgers and Rigsbee’s two sons. Tyler Rigsbee is at Cal and Jordan Rigsbee is a Cal recruit.

Witnessing his son become a pioneer of local football is one of the things Ed Rodgers is struggling to grasp as he prepares to head to Dallas. As a child in Chico, Rodgers grew up watching Joe Montana and Steve Young lead his beloved 49ers to Super Bowls.

“I can’t wrap my head around the idea that now Aaron is doing the same thing.” Rodgers said. “It’s the Super Bowl.”

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 14
Preseason Power Ranking: 8

Biggest surprise: Running back Mike Tolbert and defensive tackle Antonio Garay. Both entered the season as role players. Both ended the season as players the Chargers want to lock up with long-term deals. Tolbert proved to be a terrific running back; he ran over opponents and was a great counter-punch to rookie running back Ryan Mathews. Tolbert is also good as a short-yardage back. Garay, a Chicago castoff, filled the role left by Jamal Williams wonderfully. Many NFL scouts thought he was one of the better nose tackles in the league this season. It looks like San Diego scored big with these little-known talents on each side of the ball.

Biggest disappointment: The season as a whole. There’s no way the Chargers expected this season to unfold the way it did. They finished 9-7 and saw their four-season reign as AFC West champions end. The Chargers finished the season ranked No. 1 in total offense and total defense. Yet, special teams problems and injuries took a toll. The unit seriously hurt the Chargers for the first three quarters of the season, so it’s no surprise that the Football Outsiders ranked San Diego’s special teams last in the NFL. The team fired special teams coach Steve Crosby after the end of the season. The Chargers also were battered, especially at receiver and linebacker. They used 73 players, one off the NFL record. Quarterback Philip Rivers completed passes to 17 players. In the end, the Chargers’ record was a lot worse than what this offense and defense showed they were capable of doing.

Biggest need: The Chargers’ No. 1 ranking on both sides of the ball shows that this is a very talented roster. Assume the Chargers will be healthier next season and this should still be a good team. But it could always use some depth. Expect the Chargers to look for help at safety, linebacker and defensive end. If this team could find a pure pass-rusher in the draft, it would help immensely. The Chargers could also use offensive line depth and perhaps another receiver, especially if they don’t put the franchise tag on free agent Vincent Jackson. San Diego should be well equipped to get what it wants in the draft with extra second- and third-round picks coming. The Chargers will have five picks in the first three rounds, which will give it trading power and the ability to stockpile picks.

Team MVP: Rivers. At 29 years old, the quarterback just gets better. Expect him to get some NFL MVP votes. He is the third player to have a passer rating of 100.0 or more for three straight years, joining Steve Young and Peyton Manning.

The numbers lie: The 2010 Chargers showed that statistics aren’t everything. Since 1970, five previous teams led the NFL in total offense and defense. All five made the playoffs. The Chargers had a plus-119 point differential in 2010, fifth best in the NFL. It was the highest plus-point differential for a non-playoff team since the 1991 San Francisco 49ers, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Will Peyton Manning be the best player on the field Sunday night when the San Diego Chargers visit Indianapolis?

Usually, it wouldn’t even be a question. Of course, he would. He’s Peyton Manning, one of the best players ever to step on an NFL field. But, for one night, in this season, Manning may have competition. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers is playing as well as anybody in the NFL in 2010, including Manning.

Rivers, who is No. 2 on ESPN.com’s MVP Watch this week (Manning is No. 5), is playing out of his mind. He has thrown for 3,177 yards. He has thrown for 23 touchdowns and he has been intercepted nine times. Manning has thrown for 3,059 yards. He’s thrown for 20 touchdowns and he’s been picked off seven times. Rivers is less than a yard shy off the pace of Dan Marino’s single-season passing yardage record of 5,084 yards in 1984.

Like Manning, Rivers is playing with a less-than-stacked deck. He’s been playing without his top four receivers and star tight end Antonio Gates the past two games. It is not going unnoticed.

“Philip Rivers reminds me of what Peyton Manning has been doing,” ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer told me last week. “Manning does it with not a great supporting cast, but so has Rivers. These guys are really playing at another level.”

Added Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc.: “Nobody is playing better than Rivers this season. Nobody.”

Again, this is not to say that Rivers has replaced Manning atop the NFL quarterback mountain. Manning is an all-time player. But Rivers is joining the conversation. Monday night, after Rivers tore up Denver in a 35-14 win, Hall of Fame quarterback and current ESPN analyst Steve Young said that Rivers is a potential Hall of Fame player. Wednesday on “SportsCenter,” Young ranked Manning as the No. 2 quarterback in the league and Rivers is No. 4.

Rivers is certainly putting up the numbers. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rivers lead the NFL this season with 19 completion of 30 yards or longer. That should increase when his favorite deep threat, Vincent Jackson, joins the team Sunday after ending his holdout and spending time on the roster-exemption list. Rivers has the longest current streak by throwing a touchdown pass in each of the past 22 games.

There’s no doubt Manning is special. But he will not be the only special quarterback on the field Sunday night.

There is a chance Tim Tebow will be promoted to the No. 2 quarterback in Denver as soon as Tuesday when the Broncos practice.

Tebow was the No. 2 quarterback Sunday against Pittsburgh and he has outplayed Brady Quinn. However, Denver coach Josh McDaniels said Tebow came in second after Kyle Orton because the team wanted to see more repetitions since he missed the previous game with sore ribs. However, it needs to be noted that when Orton left the field for a play during a short injury, it was Quinn, not Tebow, who replaced him.

There could be a situation where Tebow is the No. 2 quarterback on game days because he will be used in special packages. However, perhaps early in Tebow’s career, if Orton misses a week, Quinn would be the starter.

Still, it is clear Tebow is making strides and gaining more support. Monday, I caught up with former Tampa Bay and Denver safety john Lynch, who is an analyst for FOX. He was at Denver’s game against Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Lynch, a college quarterback at Stanford, has watched Tebow in camp and liked what he saw on the field Sunday night. Lynch said the most impressive thing about Tebow was how quickly he is learning. Lynch said Tebow rarely makes the same mistake twice, and his game is evolving.

“He has the most diagnosed release in the history of releases and he is working on it,” Lynch said. “We saw improvements. Credit goes to Tim for recognizing he had some mechanical issues and he addressed it … The kid seems focused on bettering his game every day.”

The Broncos had Tebow work on his pocket game Sunday night. He didn’t take off and run after injuring his ribs on a touchdown run in his preseason debut at Cincinnati two weeks ago. Lynch thinks it’s smart that Tebow refine his pocket-passing presence, but he shouldn’t go away from his game.

“It’s strength of his and he should use it,” Lynch said. “Steve Young’s evolution to being a truly championship quarterback was when he combined his pocket game with his natural running skills. I think that’s the progression Tim needs to strive for.”

Like everyone else, Lynch said a key to Tebow’s chances to succeed is his makeup.

“I like what he does on the field, but I’m telling you, you can’t discount those intangibles,” Lynch said. “He’s special. There is just a way he carries himself, you now he will be a successful player.”

Brock Huard quickly returned a phone message.

“I don’t get a chance to talk about left-handed quarterbacks much,” Huard said. "You don’t see it much. I go to a lot of youth football camps and the quarterbacks are almost always right-handed. It seems all the lefties are playing baseball. ... I’m interested to see Tim Tebow because we lefties are hard to come by.”

Huard, now a college football analyst for ESPN, is a member of a rare club. He was a southpaw gunslinger as a backup in Seattle and Indianapolis from 1999-2004. The NFL is a right-handed quarterback’s game. Only 12 left-handed quarterback have started more than 50 NFL games.

The only lefty currently slated to be a starter in 2010 is Arizona’s Matt Leinart and his status is far from solid. The only other left-handed quarterbacks currently in the NFL are backups Mark Brunell, Michael Vick, Chris Simms, Pat White and Tyler Palko.

Besides Brunell and Vick, the last truly successful left-handed quarterbacks were Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young and Boomer Esiason. Other successful left-handed quarterbacks throughout the years include Ken Stabler, Jim Zorn, Bobby Douglass and Frankie Albert.

Being left-handed is one of the reasons Tebow enters the NFL with such intense interest. The intrigue is not just whether the former Florida quarterback can prove he simply wasn’t a Saturday star with an awkward delivery. People are eager to see if Tebow can become the next lefty to succeed in the league.

“I have no doubt that he can,” said Houston quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp. "I know it can happen."

Knapp would know. He coached Young in San Francisco and Vick in Atlanta.

“I’ve seen it firsthand,” Knapp said. "Don’t tell me left-handed quarterbacks can’t make it in this league. I know it can be done.”

(Read full post)

	Byron Hetzler/US Presswire
	Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler has formally asked Denver to trade him.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

A large part of the intrigue of the Jay Cutler fiasco is that it is so rare.

Sudden divorces between young, standout quarterbacks and their teams seldom occur. When teams get ahold of young, talented quarterbacks, they usually try to hang onto them. Every team's goal is to get a franchise quarterback.

The Denver Broncos, who drafted Cutler with the No. 11 pick in 2006, clearly thought he was that player to lead them for the next decade-plus. Now, thanks to the mess that began with Denver considering trading him three weeks ago, which resulted in Cutler publicly asking for a trade, that plan is in jeopardy.

What seemed inconceivable three weeks ago could now happen. A 25-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback who isn't in his prime yet (he has started only 37 NFL games) could be traded. It just doesn't happen much.

Here is a look, going back 15 years, at some of the QBs who were traded in the middle of their careers and how it worked out for them and their new teams.

We will start with Jeff George, who is the most comparable to Cutler because of age.

George

Jeff George

• Year traded: 1994
• Age: 26
• From where to where: Indianapolis to Atlanta
• Cost: Two first-round picks and a third-round pick.
• How it worked: George had some success in Atlanta, but he didn't live up to the trade cost. He got his passing yards in the Falcons' run-and-shoot offense and the team made the playoffs in his second season in Atlanta. But the George-Falcons marriage fell apart in 1996, his third season with the team. He was shipped to the Raiders in 1997. It began a vagabond NFL life for George. He ended up playing for seven teams in 17 NFL seasons.
• Compared to Cutler: Cutler will be 26 next month. George was 26 when the Colts traded him. He was considered a young gun as Cutler is now.

Johnson

Brad Johnson

• Year traded: 1999
• Age: 30
• From where to where: Minnesota to Washington
• Cost: First-, second- and third-round picks.
• How it worked: Johnson played well in 1999. He blossomed into a star and he had one of the best seasons ever by a Redskins quarterback, making the Pro Bowl. It seemed as if Johnson was worth the steep price, but he made a lot of mistakes in 2000 and fell out of favor. He was traded to Tampa Bay after the 2000 season and won a Super Bowl in his second season with the Buccaneers. Johnson, released in the offseason by Dallas, has had an average NFL career and he wasn't worth the bounty the Redskins gave up for him.
• Compared to Cutler: Not a very similar situation because he was already 30 and the Vikings had Randall Cunningham when Johnson was dealt.

Mirer

Rick Mirer

• Year traded: 1997
• Age: 26
• From where to where: Seattle to Chicago
• Cost: Mirer and a fourth-round pick were traded for a first-round pick.
• How it worked: Mirer was a high-pick flameout in Seattle after four years and his career didn't take off after the trade to Chicago. He barely played in Chicago and was cut the following year. The Bears gave up plenty for Mirer and he never was worth the cost. Mirer flopped around the league, playing for five more teams after being cut by Chicago.
• Compared to Cutler: Yes, Mirer was young when he was traded, but he already was a failure as a starter. Cutler is establishing himself as a premier player.

Green

Trent Green

• Year traded: 2001
• Age: 30
• From where to where: St. Louis to Kansas City
• Cost: Green and a fifth-round pick for a first-round pick.
• How it worked: Pretty well. While Green was injury-prone often in his career, he was a solid player for the Chiefs. He was a legitimate starter in his six seasons with Kansas City and the Chiefs were regular playoff contenders. Green wasn't a star, but he was a solid player and he gave the Chiefs a chance to win. 
• Compared to Cutler: Not very similar. Green was older, but he wasn't as established as Cutler -- he had started only 19 games before he was traded.

Schaub

Matt Schaub

• From where to where: Atlanta to Houston
• Year traded: 2007
• Age: 25
• Cost: Two second-round picks
• How it has worked: Schaub has the look of a solid player. He has been a starter since going to Houston. He has battled injuries and growing pains. But the Texans remain committed to him and he seems like he could have a good future. It appears that it was a worthwhile trade for Houston.
• Compared to Cutler: Schaub was young, but he was a backup with very little game experience when he was traded, so his situation doesn't compare as well to Cutler's as George's does.

If you want to go further back, you can look at Brett Favre and Steve Young being traded, but again they don't compare to George and Cutler.

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Favre had almost no game experience when he was dealt from Atlanta to Green Bay in 1992. Young, who was 25 when he was traded from Tampa Bay to San Francisco in 1987, was a backup for several years after he was dealt. And, of course, there is Matt Cassel, who played a central role in the Cutler fiasco. He was traded to Kansas City along with linebacker Mike Vrabel from New England for a second-round pick after one effective season with the Patriots. But we have no idea how that will play out.

Quarterback trades are not completely foreign, but their success rates vary and the reasons usually have to do with age and skill level.

Cutler is young and has shown he can play at a high level. Thus, as you can see, there are few trades involving quarterbacks that compare directly to Cutler. That's why this situation is so rare.