Donovan McNabb knows that Jay Cutler is the man in Chicago. He even said as much in an interview on "The Waddle &Silvy Show", which airs on ESPN 1000 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. However, McNabb was also admittedly surprised when he didn't receive a phone call on Nov. 20 after Cutler went down with a broken thumb.
McNabb's career has taken a considerable dive after exiting stage right in Philadelphia, Washington and Minnesota, but given the quarterbacks the Bears had on the roster, McNabb may have been a better option. Hindsight 20/20, what's done is done, and all the projecting in the world won't change the fact that the Bears stumbled to an 8-8 finish.
That being said, the issue of uncertainty at the backup quarterback still exists, and the 35-year old Chicago native will have had close to a year to heal by next training camp. But would the Chicago Bears be interested?
Despite the lingering disappointment, McNabb said he'd still be willing to listen to the Bears front office if they made the call. Granted, there's a certain level of fascination with the story of Josh McCown, but standing pat at quarterback simply isn't an option in 2012. Fans will marvel at the story of the high school coach who came off the couch to quarterback the Bears in their darkest hour, choosing to forget the overall irrelevance of his shockingly average performance.
McNabb offers an experienced alternative, a valued commodity in the National Football League. Yes, his recent struggles are well-documented, but in a backup role he'd serve as little more than an insurance policy, and that's a role that the Mt. Carmel alum is overqualified to fill. Yet, Donovan's willingness to relegate himself to a backup seems to signify a level of maturity that wasn't there in public battles with the coaching staffs at Philadelphia and Washington.
Perhaps Donovan McNabb isn't the answer in Chicago, but the conversation at least raises the larger issue of addressing the depth of the quarterback position. And that's something the Bears must do.
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