Filed Under » Denver Broncos

Sales for Tim Tebow's Denver Broncos jersey have descended from the heavenly No. 1 spot it has occupied since he was drafted back in April 2010. Poor play and a backup role have contributed to the second-year player's fall from grace. But while Tebow's No. 15 may no longer be in the Top 10 in jerseys sold, it has reached the summit a somewhat less prestigious designation: No. 1 in jerseys handed down to younger cousins.

The exponential rise of the now Kyle Orton backup — and also Brady Quinn backup and possibly Adam Weber backup — to the top in the jerseys handed down to younger cousins rankings, while incredibly rapid, is not unprecedented. After Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to victory in Super Bowl XXXVI, older cousins could hardly wait to unload their Drew Bledsoe jerseys on their younger, unknowing relatives.

"I was a fan of [Bledsoe's] for the longest time," said former younger cousin, Mark Tanner of Waterford, Conn. "All because of that one stupid jersey. I don't even like the Patriots."

Luckily, for Mark, he was smart enough to cut ties when the battered veteran's erratic play led to Tony Romo becoming an NFL starter.

"I don't want that on my conscience. I can't even imagine what those kids having Tebow forced on them are going to have to deal with when they're my age," he said. "I'd pray for them, but that's just what that Tebow wants."

For the first time in his football career, Tim Tebow is facing adversity. He has lost his starting job in Denver and has faced growing criticism from the media for his play. But ever the optimist, and always full of faith, Tebow is using the words of critics to fuel his fire.

"I heard some guy say on TV that I don't belong on an NFL team as a quarterback," said Tebow. "'ppreciate that. I will cling to a third-string role until my contract runs out or until I am given a chance to start for a CFL or UFL team, I guarantee it."

Entering training camp, it was presumed that Tebow would be Denver's starter and that the Broncos would trade Kyle Orton to Miami, but Tebow's poor play has elevated Orton to starter and pushed Tebow down the depth chart.

"On the first day of practice, Tim threw an interception into triple coverage and I reminded him not to throw into triple coverage again," said head coach John Fox. "He said: ''ppreciate that,' and then tried even harder to complete passes into triple coverage. They all got intercepted."