Zac Boyer will be entering his third season covering the Washington Redskins for The Free Lance-Star this fall. Make sure to follow Zac on Twitter (@ZacBoyer) for the latest updates or e-mail him with any questions at zboyer@freelancestar.com.
Redskins Pass On Kyle Orton, Who Is Claimed Off Waivers By Kansas City
By ZAC BOYER | zboyer@freelancestar.com | @ZacBoyer
ASHBURN – Quarterback Kyle Orton, released by Denver on Monday, was claimed on waivers Tuesday afternoon by Kansas City, ending any potential speculation – at least for now – that he will end up with the Washington Redskins.
Orton has stated he does not want to play for the Chiefs, and a situation may arise where he does not report and Kansas City could try to trade or release him. For now, the Chiefs, who lost starting quarterback Matt Cassell to a broken right hand sustained a week ago against the Broncos, expect to have him starting over backup Tyler Palko.
The Broncos released Orton, who opened the year as the starter but went 1-4, after he was benched in favor of Tim Tebow. Orton was drafted by Chicago in 2005 and traded to Denver for Jay Cutler in 2009, a year after current Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan was fired.
The Redskins, at 3-7, have a worse record than Kansas City (4-6), meaning they did not place in a claim on the 29-year-old quarterback and the remaining $2.58 million on a two-year contract that expires after this year. Shanahan deferred when asked about the team’s interest in Orton after Tuesday’s practice, indirectly citing league rules referring to tampering.
Orton may be disgruntled, but one former Redskins quarterback is not. Kellen Clemens, who was in training camp with the team this season, signed with Houston after the team put starter Matt Schaub on injured reserve following a foot injury.
