ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Kyle Orton has gone from Jay Cutler's replacement to Tim Tebow's backup to the unemployment line.

The Broncos released the 29-year-old veteran quarterback Tuesday, six weeks after benching him following a 1-4 start.

Although he's a vested veteran with seven NFL seasons under his belt, Orton is subject to the waiver rules because he was released after the trade deadline. If another team claims him, it will be responsible for about $3 million in salary, which is what remains of his roughly $9 million contract for 2011. If nobody claims him, he'll be free to sign with anybody.

The Bears, who traded Orton to Denver in the 2009 trade that brought Jay Cutler back to Chicago, plan to put in a waiver claim to facilitate a potential reunion, sources familiar with the situation told ESPNChicago.com. The Bears are 30th in the waiver order.

The Denver Post reported that Orton, 29, and his agent David Dunn helped to facilitate the quarterback's release by requesting it after they learned of Cutler's thumb injury. Cutler will have surgery on Wednesday, according to a sources familiar with the situation, and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season.

Cutler broke the thumb on his right throwing hand last weekend and might miss the rest of the regular season. His backup is Caleb Hanie. The Bears visit the Broncos on Dec. 11.

Another intriguing possibility is the Houston Texans, who lost quarterback Matt Schaub for the rest of the season with a foot injury. He's been replaced by previously underachieving Matt Leinart.

The Texans are 25th in the waiver order, so they could pick up Orton before the Bears have a chance.

John Elway, the Broncos' executive vice president of football operations, called Orton an "absolute pro," and said he decided against keeping him on the roster through the remainder of the season.

"We thought it was best for the Broncos at this time as well as for Kyle to catch on with a different team," Elway said. "Kyle is going to have more options in the NFL. He'll get an opportunity to play somewhere else, and we wish him the best of luck."