If you watched the Chicago Bears beat the San Diego Chargers in Week 11 you may not have even noticed that Jay Cutler suffered a fractured thumb. The Bears QB never exited the game and even head coach Lovie Smith didn't know the severity of the injury in his postgame press conference.
But Cutler's thumb is indeed a serious injury and it could cost him the rest of the regular season. The Bears are saying that Cutler will require surgery on his thumb and he could undergo the procedure as soon as Tuesday. They're still not officially setting a timeline on his recovery but they're hopeful he'll return before the end of the season.
Unofficially, however, the word is that Cutler will be out 6-8 weeks with the injury. If that's the case, it would take them right up until the last week of the season before he could even consider coming back.
For now, the Bears starting QB duties are handed to Caleb Hanie, who has attempted just 14 career passes.