CHICAGO (AP) — Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will
have surgery Wednesday to repair the fractured thumb on his right throwing hand
and the team is hoping he will be able to return before the end of the regular
season.
"We're anticipating a good result, but we'll
know more hopefully in the next 48 hours," Bears general manager Jerry
Angelo said Tuesday on NFL.com. "It's a shame because he was really coming
into his own. He was really understanding the protections, keeping his eye
level down the field. The things he was doing were pretty special."
Angelo said team doctors believe Cutler has a
chance of getting back on the field before Chicago ends its regular season at
Minnesota on New Year's Day. The Bears are tied with Detroit for second in the
NFC North at 7-3.
Cutler was injured trying to help tackle Antoine
Cason on an interception return in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 31-20 victory
over the San Diego Chargers, a big blow for a team with five straight wins. The
Bears are expected to start Caleb Hanie at Oakland this week, but they are
looking for a veteran backup.
One option could be Kyle Orton, the quarterback they
traded to Denver for Cutler in April 2009. He was released by the Broncos on
Tuesday.
Although Orton's a vested veteran with seven NFL
seasons under his belt, he is subject to the waiver rules because he was
released after the trade deadline. Any team that claims him 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 are an intriguing possibility, given his
history with them. They went 10-5 with Orton starting as a rookie in 2005, with
Rex Grossman sidelined most of the year because of a preseason injury.
Orton barely played the next two years but started
15 games in 2008, throwing for 2,972 yards with 18 touchdowns and 12
interceptions.
Copyright
2011 The Associated Press.
