After losing to the New York Giants on Sunday, the Chicago Bears are facing another problem in the form of quarterback Jay Cutler's possible season-ending injury. But aside from ending the year early for him, the injury could also shorten Cutler's career with the Bears.
As noted by NFL.com, Cutler sustained a shoulder injury in the recent game. It is not yet clear just how serious his current injury is but he is expected to see doctors later this week.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, things are not looking good for the Bears and Cutler as the injury could force him into the sidelines for the remainder of the season.
This is the second injury suffered by Cutler this year. The first was a sprained thumb that forced him to miss five games from September to October. During his absence, he was replaced by Brian Hoyer.
As noted by Shutdown Corner, since Hoyer is still in injured reserve, that means the Bears will have no other choice but to start with third-stringer Matt Barkley in the upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans.
This will be the first time that Barkley will take the field as a full-time starter. He was able to play earlier this season during the loss against the Green Bay Packers after Hoyer was sidelined due to a broken forearm.
With the Chicago franchise 2-8 record, playing a rookie quarterback at the starting role is certainly a dangerous move. However, the Bears don't have much of a choice since they're close to running out of quarterback options.
It is not yet clear if the Bears will decide to promote someone from the practice squad to serve as Barkley's backup.
As for Cutler, aside from missing out on the rest of the year, his latest injury could seal his fate for next season. Aside from not getting along with head coach John Fox, the entire organization has been pretty disappointed with Cutler's leadership.
His prone to injury could also push the franchise to part ways with him in the offseason. In other words, there's a good chance that the Bears might not offer a contract extension for Cutler next year.
