Jay Cutler Injured in Bears Loss
The Chicago Bears lost a wild shootout in Washington on Sunday to fall to 4-3 on the season, but they may have lost more than that, as Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler sustained an injury that caused him to leave the contest early.
After being taken down on a sack by Chris Baker early in the second quarter, Cutler suffered a groin injury and did not return. With backup Josh McCown in the game, the Bears went on to lose to the Redskins 45-41, but many of the questions following the loss were not about McCown – who posted a 119.6 QB rating in relief – but rather about the severity of Cutler’s injury. Unfortunately, Bears coach Marc Trestman didn’t have any concrete answers and like everyone else, will have to wait until the results from Cutler’s MRI come in on Monday.
“We’ll know more in the next couple of days,” Trestman said following the loss, according to ESPN.com. “It’s a groin. It’s not a knee, it’s not an ankle, it’s not a hip. We’ll see where we’re at. I’m just going to wait to see what the doctors say.”
Obviously, losing Cutler for a significant amount of time would be a big blow to the Bears, who are currently battling the Green Bay Packers (4-2) and Detroit Lions (4-3) for the top spot in the NFC North.
“Jay leads our team. He’s our quarterback,” Trestman said. “We want him out there. We want him playing. I’m just hopeful that it’s not too serious, that this one comes at the right time [because of the upcoming bye].”
Cutler should have some time to heal with the bye week up next for Chicago, but the team is prepared to hand the ball to McCown if Cutler remains out. McCown was happy to get the opportunity to finish the Bears’ game this Sunday, but also felt for his injured teammate.
“When you’re close to somebody and they get hurt, your heart just kinds of sinks,” McCown said. “I was bummed, said a prayer, grabbed my helmet and got some throws in to get ready to play.”
To back up McCown in the meantime, the Bears are set to bring in free agent Jordan Palmer, who last played with the Bengals in 2010. They may also use former Bills starter Trent Edwards, who they signed at the end of the preseason.
While the Bears could remain competitive with another signal caller, it’s safe to say their playoff hopes would dim if Cutler is ruled out for a good chunk of time. When Cutler missed the last six games of the team’s 2011 season, they ended up losing five of those contests.
Be sure to check back for more updates regarding Cutler’s status, as the news will most certainly dictate how bettors should go about wagering on the Bears for the rest of the season.
