Update: As I was writing this story ESPN Chicago reported that the Chicago Bears will put in a claim on Kyle Orton. It is likely that the Bears would like to bring in Orton to be their starting quarterback.

Kyle Orton was waived today by the Denver Broncos and due to his salary he will likely pass through waivers unclaimed and become a free agent. This will allow Orton to choose a team where he would like to go. Well there just so happens to be two playoff caliber teams that are in need of help at the quarterback position.

The Houston Texans who are atop the AFC South have lost Matt Shaub for the rest of the season with a foot injury and now must turn to Matt Leinart. Leinart was highly touted coming out of college, but has yet to put it together in the NFL. The Texans will need Leinart to play well if they hope to continue their strong season. With Schaub the Texans may have been Super Bowl contenders, but it is yet to be seen how they will perform with the other Matt.

The Chicago Bears, one of the hottest teams in the NFL, are also now without their top quarterback. Jay Cutler will miss the rest of the season after injuring the thumb on his throwing hand during their win Sunday against the San Diego Chargers. The Bears were vying for a wildcard seed in the playoffs, but now may struggle to make the playoffs.

So my question is if John Elway may have talked with Orton and decided to help him out. Orton would give either one of these teams a veteran quarterback who could help them continue on the tracks they are on. Orton was part of the trade package that brought Jay Cutler to the Bears from the Broncos, but may now be welcomed back to Chicago with open arms if he could help the Bears stay hot. On the other hand the Houston Texans would be much scarier with a veteran quarterback running the show.

Elway has stated repeatedly that he does not believe that the Bronco’s future quarterback is on the current roster, including Tebow, so this move may have just been a way to drop Orton before the off-season. The timing of the move, however, makes me believe that this move had more to do with Elway wanting to help Orton. No matter why the move was made Orton does now have a chance to potentially help a playoff team.

Also, don’t forget that the Broncos are right in the middle of the race for AFC West and play the Bears in two weeks. Could you imagine Kyle Orton in a Bears uniform leading Chicago onto the field against the Broncos.