The Bears haven’t faced the kind of quarterback dilemma that’s found its way to Halas Hall since 2009, when former general manager Jerry Angelo traded for Jay Cutler. The move brought stability to a position that had plagued Chicago for decades.
Through an abysmal 1-6 start, the narrative around Chicago’s season has focused on a quarterback controversy because of the productive, yet conservative, play of journeyman backup Brian Hoyer. In a little more than four games as the Bears’ starter, Hoyer’s thrown 200 passes without an interception but has failed to put touchdowns on the board.
Cutler, meanwhile, continues to rehab an injured right thumb that’s been severe enough to limit him to only two starts in 2016. He’s now missed 20 games because of injury during his time with the Bears. To his credit, he’s played behind some brutally bad offensive lines and has sustained some bone-crunching hits. It’s a surprise he’s only missed 20 games.
Contributing to the suggestion that there’s a quarterback controversy this season is the flexibility the Bears have with Cutler in the coming offseason. No longer is Cutler’s contract one that binds GM Ryan Pace’s hands. If he wants to move on, he can. Chicago would suffer only minor cap consequences by releasing Cutler. It’s the first time since he joined the Bears that the team can make a decision based solely on the value they place on him moving forward.
One could argue that if Cutler had been healthy and playing in the Jaguars and Colts games, the Bears would’ve won both contests that they lost by last-minute defensive collapses. They probably would’ve had a chance against a depleted Packers secondary, too.
At age 33, Cutler is far from finished. He has arm talent to spare, so even as he begins to lose some juice off his fastball, he’ll still throw a prettier pass than most in the NFL.
The likelihood of Cutler coming back in 2017 was enhanced by Hoyer’s injury against the Packers. His broken left arm is likely to keep him out the rest of the year, and he may have done enough in his five-game audition to earn a starting opportunity elsewhere. It’s highly unlikely the Bears will get into a bidding war for Hoyer’s services, especially since he was signed to be exactly what he’s been so far this year: a productive and serviceable option if Cutler can’t play.
The youth on the roster is comprised of Matt Barkley and Connor Shaw. Barkley looked terrible against the Packers and Shaw is out for the year with a broken leg. That said, had Shaw not gotten injured, he might have leapfrogged Hoyer for the primary backup role.
Shaw will have a spot on the roster next season, and as shocking as this may sound, if the Bears let Cutler walk, he could end up being their opening day starter in 2017.
Barkley could get another crack at a future with Chicago if Cutler is out another week. While the former USC star looked out of place in Week 7, a full week to prepare as the starter could lead to better results.
The most likely and best-case scenario for the Bears would be another year of Cutler in 2017 with Shaw sliding in as the backup and a rookie early round pick redshirting as the third quarterback on the roster. Ryan Pace made a massive mistake in this year’s draft when he passed on the talented crop of incoming signal-callers. He can’t do it again next year.
There are a few quarterback prospects who have first-round chatter right now, led by Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. Miami’s Brad Kaaya is also in the mix, but with a long way to go in the college football season, it would be unwise to project any of the underclassmen as players the Bears could land in the first round.
And let’s not forget about the trade market, either. The Patriots, for example, have two quarterbacks behind Tom Brady — Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett — that would be appealing trade targets. Garoppolo, specifically, would be the ideal acquisition. He’s a hometown guy who has learned behind one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
For all practical purposes, the 2016 season is over for the Bears, but the work is far from done. The team will work hard to identify key players for the future over the next nine games, especially at quarterback.
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