Jay Cutler will receive one last-ditch opportunity to make an impression on the Chicago Bears entering the 2015 offseason.
The team announced Monday that quarterback Jimmy Clausen will not play in the season finale at the Minnesota Vikings after sustaining a concussion in Sunday's game versus the Detroit Lions. The Bears plan to start Cutler with rookie David Fales serving as the backup.
Clausen was livid about a helmet-to-helmet blow from Lions pass rusher Ziggy Ansah but exhibited no signs or symptoms of a concussion during the game.
He went on to pass all post-game concussion tests, only to suffer delayed symptoms later in the evening.
Clausen averaged just 4.6 yards per attempt in his lone start but was the victim of seven drops by Bears receivers. As far as checking to the right plays and setting blitz protections at the line of scrimmage, he was an upgrade on Cutler's recent struggles.
Now Cutler is back in the saddle for one last chance to shoot out the lights.
Just days after getting unceremoniously benched, the NFL's highest-paid player and prodigal franchise quarterback is set to start a meaningless game amid swirling speculation about his next NFL landing spot.
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