Jay Cutler's thumb injury doesn't look good for him or the Chicago Bears. With his official status with the team still unknown, the Bears could look to trade him to a team that is also in need of a quarterback, such as the Dallas Cowboys or Minnesota Vikings.
Cutler's thumb injury emerged in Week 2 during the Bears' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, as the team heads onto Week 3, the Bears have no other choice but to turn to Brian Hoyer as their starting quarterback.
It is not yet clear when Cutler will be back since the Chicago organization has not yet released a timetable for his recovery or return. But, according to a medical expert, even though Cutler did not require surgery for his thumb, his injury could put him on the sidelines for a very long time.
"This is the ‘Tommy John' of the football quarterback, basically," John Hernandez, an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center said about Cutler's injury.
"You do not want this injury," he added. "For one, it puts you out. Two, it's very unpredictable in terms of how it's going to recover."
Fernandez then went on to say that if another player got the same injury, he'll probably be alright. But since Cutler's a quarterback, this condition could seriously affect his career.
"Virtually any other position on the team, you can function very well with this kind of injury, including a wide receiver or a tight end," he added. "But the ulnar collateral ligament is critical for the quarterback."
With his condition and status looking grim, Cutler could end up being on the injured reserve for a very long time. If the Bears want to cut their losses, they can look for trade options for him. Ideally, it should be with a team that's also having quarterback problems, such as the Cowboys or the Vikings.
However, since his recovery is a bit shaky, other teams will most likely think twice before engaging in a trade with the Bears. This means if the Chicago franchise doesn't put up a good bundle offer which includes Cutler, then they could end up just waiving him completely.
