Jay Cutler is expected to miss the rest of the season.
The Bears quarterback is believed to have a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday. Cutler is undergoing a second opinion in hopes the results come out differently.
If the initial diagnosis is confirmed it would knock the starter out for the rest of the season and possibly end his career in Chicago. Garafolo adds that the timeframe for a recovery has yet to come fully into view.
Cutler was completing just 59.1 percent of his passes this season, his worst since 2012 when Mike Tice helmed the offense. After negating the turnovers last year under Adam Gase's tutelage, Cutler will end the season with a 4-to-5 TD-INT ratio in five starts.
With all of the guaranteed money in his contract eaten up, the Bears might decide it's time to move on from the strong-armed but enigmatic quarterback.
Unfortunately, the Bears' brass doesn't have a young signal-caller in the grooming stable who could get needed reps down the stretch of a lost season. Weak-armed Matt Barkley is set to take over the starting duties. The Bears also signed David Fales off the Ravens' practice squad, Garafolo reported.
With Alshon Jeffery out three more games due to a suspension, guard Kyle Long on IR and Cutler gone, the Bears' offense will be even more painful to watch than it was a month ago.
At 2-8, the Bears are in line to earn a high draft pick, which they could use to try to solve the quarterback question.
