Everyone has an opinion on the so-called Chicago Bears quarterback controversy. Well, at least we had a Chicago Bears QB controversy. We don’t anymore.
Well, for some people there might still be some controversy. That would be the crowd who refer to Chicago Bears QB2 Josh McCown as “McGown” or “Cade McNown” or “Josh McNown” or Josh McGowan or Rose McGowan or….I just got tired of using air quotes. Anyways, sports journalism is dying, and in it’s place we have sports punditry. NO ONE READS, and I mean NO ONE reads game recaps, no matter what the sport. Statistical driven content sometimes works, it’s hit or miss. But everyone loves reading speculation and opinion.
Mock drafts, bracketologies, previews, predictions etc. are still golden. And of course, so is a good debate. Even though Jay Cutler versus McCown isn’t even a debate at all.
So here’s what the NBC Sunday Night Football crew had to say about the Chicago Bears QB situation. Transcript from Football Night in America
Rodney Harrison on Cutler: “He likes to throw the ball up and allow those guys to make plays. He was huge on third down. I thought he played with tremendous heart, and in the second half he played well.”
Tony Dungy on Cutler: “In the long run, if he’s healthy and practiced all week, you’ve got to go with him. And he justified their faith.”
Dan Patrick: “You think this decision was based on what’s going to happen in the future for the Bears?”
Dungy: “I think it is down the line and Marc Trestman’s thinking playoffs. He’s not thinking just getting there, but winning in the playoffs.”
Patrick: “So (starting Jay Cutler this week) was based more on the future than it was right now?”
Scott Pioli: “I think it’s a combination of the two things, because (Cutler’s) going to be an unrestricted free agent, and the Bears are going to have a big decision…are they going to stick with McCown? He’s a free agent as well. Are they going to go with Cutler? Or are they going to go with a draft pick? They married into Jay Cutler, talking about (Bears GM) Phil Emery and their head coach, so there’s going to be a big decision to be made.”
Patrick: “Would you give him that big contract, to keep Cutler?”
Pioli: “I would not give him a big contract right now, because I think you’ve got a whole team that you’ve got to put together. I would go with the lesser pick in McCown, in terms of his finances, spread the money around on the team, and pick a quarterback to go with in the future.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also an analyst for multiple news talk radio stations across the country; with regular weekly segments on NBC and Fox Sports Radio. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and RSS Catch him Tuesdays talking Illini and Northwestern for KOZN 1620 The Zone, Fridays talking Chicago Bears for WAOR 95.7 The Fan