On Sunday, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Kyle Orton will face the team that cut him and the man who replaced him in Denver. But Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow isn't buying into the hype of a grudge match against his former teammate.
Tebow downplayed the significance of Orton's return to Denver, saying Wednesday the game was bigger than a showdown of two quarterbacks.
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"Ultimately, this is the Denver Broncos versus the Kansas City Chiefs," Tebow said. "It's going to be a great atmosphere, Two teams going against each other, not just two players."
Tebow said he hadn't spoken much with Orton since he landed in Kansas City, but he's happy to see his former teammate succeed -- even with a division rival.
"I'm happy for him that he has another opportunity, that he's playing and doing well," Tebow said "(I) wish him nothing but the best."
Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway said Monday he had no regrets about releasing Orton, a move that paved the way to Tebow's role as the undisputed starting quarterback in Denver.
Orton didn't have any interest in adding fuel to the storyline, avoiding it altogether when asked about his old team, according to the Chiefs' official website.
Orton still has the respect of many of his former teammates, including free safety Rahim Moore.
"Orton, man, you give that dude time to throw, he has all the capability in the world," Moore said.
But not every Broncos player was as congratulatory.
"Hopefully we can get there and get there in a bad mood," linebacker Von Miller said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
