Tim Tebow hasn't exactly been a mainstay in the National Football League ever since turning professional after a successful collegiate career. But is there a chance that the former University of Florida quarterback could come back and play as early as next season?

For now, Tebow's immediate return to the NFL looks nowhere close to being a reality, though some fans of his former team would clearly love to have him back.

Recently, some fans of the Denver Broncos have begun to let the team know  via an online petition that they would love to have Tebow back playing under center. 

The petition, which can be seen on Change.org, has already been signed by over 10,000 supporters, putting it just over 4,000 signatures shy of its target of 15,000 total.

According to the description of the petition, the Broncos need a "proven winner to continue to move this team in the right direction."

Coming off winning Super Bowl 50 earlier this year, the Broncos lost starting quarterback Peyton Manning to retirement, while his backup, Brock Osweiler, signed with the Houston Texans.

Still, the team seems to already have the starting quarterback position settled after they recently acquired Mark Sanchez this offseason. The Broncos also drafted Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch to assume the backup quarterback spot, and he could eventually take over as the team's long-term starter at the position.

That seemingly leaves Tim Tebow without any obvious spot to fill should the petition succeed in getting him back on the team, though that hasn't kept some fans from longing for his possible return.

As for other teams that may potentially look into signing Tebow, the rumor mill has been pretty quiet on that front as well, which could be an indicator that the league's interest in giving Tebow a spot has cooled for now, though that doesn't completely rule out a return to football entirely.

More news about Tim Tebow and his potential return to the NFL should be made available in the future.