Bears Lose Cutler to Injury
CHICAGO - Bears quarterback Jay Cutler broke the thumb on his throwing hand during Sunday's 31-20 victory over the San Diego Chargers. The injury will require immediate surgery.
Cutler injured the right thumb while attempting to tackle San Diego Charger cornerback Antoine Cason who intercepted a Cutler toss with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Cutler continued to play and completed his final two passes for 24 yards.
"It's devastating," Chicago linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "It's horrible, and I felt worse for him than I did for us. It stinks for us because he's having such a great year. He's our leader. He's the guy we turn to for pretty much everything."
Bears coach Lovie Smith declined to speculate on whether Cutler would be able to return this season. Sources inside the Bears organization believe he will likely miss the final six regular-season games.
With Cutler out, backup Caleb Hanie will take over as the starter. A four-year veteran, Hanie played in two games in 2010, completing 8 of 14 passes for 66 yards and an interception.
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