Tim Tebow Played Through Injuries Against Patriots

It appears that vaunted Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow isn't immune to injuries after all.

ESPN reported on Tuesday that Tebow played through significant pain during the Broncos' blowout loss to the New England Patriots last week. Tebow reportedly tore cartilage where his ribs attached to the sternum and suffered a bruised lung.

The second-year quarterback endured the injury in the third quarter when the Broncos were already down 42-7. Despite the game seemingly over in the Patriots' favor, Tebow insisted on playing through the pain and finishing the game with his teammates.

Tebow staying in the game didn't do much good - the Broncos managed to only score a field goal in the second half - but does showcase the quarterback's toughness. He reportedly underwent a MRI on his chest on Monday, but no results are currently known.

Even if the Broncos managed to defeat the Patriots, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that it would have been unlikely that Tebow would have been able to play in the AFC Championship game.

John Elway, Broncos chief of football operations, recently announced that Tebow will be the starter going into the team's training camp. Tebow guided the Broncos to an 8-8 regular season record and a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs, but throughout the years reports out of Denver indicated that Elway wasn't enamored with him.

Tebow appreciated the starter distinction, but told reporters that he doesn't plan to treat the upcoming off-season any different than usual.

It's a great honor to be a quarterback for the Denver Broncos, Tebow told the Denver Post on Tuesday. I take that very seriously. I'm very excited about this offseason and I can't wait to get to work and get better.

Elway, a Hall of Fame quarterback, said that he would personally work with Tebow this off-season to better his oft-criticized mechanics. Tebow completed just 46.5 percent of his passes in the regular season and many criticized him for his inability to throw the ball down field.