17.05.12

LAKE FOREST, Ill. | The Bears are confident Jay Cutler will return this season from a broken thumb on his right throwing hand, so there was a glimmer of hope to go with the big chill that just blew through Chicago.</p><p> Even so, this is a major blow for the Bears.</p><p> Cutler needs surgery and will be out &#x201C;for an extended time,&#x201D; coach Lovie Smith said Monday. He would not say when the operation will take place, just &#x201C;hopefully fairly quick&#x201D; and provided few details.</p><p> Smith did make one thing clear, though.</p><p> &#x201C;Is it a season-ending injury? No,&#x201D; Smith said. &#x201C;From what I&#x2019;ve been told right now, we can expect him back at the end of the regular season.&#x201D;</p><p> The regular-season finale is Jan. 1 at Minnesota.</p><p> Without Cutler, the Bears will turn to backup Caleb Hanie against Oakland this weekend and will also look to bring in a veteran quarterback.</p><p> No word on Brett Favre, and for what it&#x2019;s worth, Kurt Warner isn&#x2019;t available.</p><p> Warner, the quarterback for Mike Martz&#x2019;s &#x201C;Greatest Show On Turf&#x201D; in St. Louis, made it clear with this post on Twitter he&#x2019;s not coming out of retirement: &#x201C;I am bummed 4 (at)JayCutler6 ! Been there 2 many times & he was playing great fball! Yes, I know & luv offense but NO I am NOT unretiring!&#x201D;</p><p>Cutler was injured trying to help tackle Antoine Cason on an interception return in the fourth quarter of Sunday&#x2019;s 31-20 victory over the San Diego Chargers, and Smith was unaware of the extent of the injury until after the game. </p><p>This isn&#x2019;t completely new territory for the Bears.</p><p>Rex Grossman missed most of the year in 2005 after breaking an ankle in the preseason, forcing Chicago to go with rookie Kyle Orton. The Bears ran a simplified offense and won the NFC North at 11-5 before losing to Carolina in the playoffs.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">OTHER NEWS </span></strong><br /> &#x2022;<strong>PETERSON&#x2019;S STATUS IN QUESTION FOR VIKINGS: </strong>Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who leads the league with 11 rushing touchdowns, has a high ankle sprain that will put him in a walking boot this week, leaving his availability Sunday at Atlanta in question. Coach Leslie Frazier said that Peterson has a Grade 1 sprain, the least severe of the three categories, with &#x201C;a little bit of&#x201D; ligament damage. </p><p>&#x2022;<strong>TITANS WAITING TO SEE ABOUT HASSELBECK:</strong> Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has no structural damage to his right forearm and elbow. Whether he plays against Tampa Bay will be determined by how comfortable he is throwing the ball. &#x201C;He&#x2019;ll be smart about it to tell us where he&#x2019;s at,&#x201D; coach Mike Munchak said. Munchak said Monday&#x2019;s tests were negative and Hasselbeck&#x2019;s injury is more of a muscle strain in the forearm. If Hasselbeck cannot make all the throws, rookie Jake Locker would make his first start.</p><p><strong>&#x2022;</strong><strong>JETS&#x2019; RYAN PAYS FOR PROFANITY:</strong> New York Jets coach Rex Ryan&#x2019;s mouth really cost him this time. Ryan was fined $75,000 by the NFL for using profanity while angrily responding to a fan at halftime of the Jets&#x2019; loss to the Patriots on Nov. 13. Ryan apologized a day later for what he called &#x201C;a mistake,&#x201D; saying he &#x201C;was full of emotion and just popped off.&#x201D;</p><p>&#x2022;<strong>PENALTIES UPSET </strong><strong>RAIDERS&#x2019; JACKSON: </strong>Oakland Raiders coach Hue Jackson talked to league officials on Monday, a day after he said calls against his team in a 27-21 win at Minnesota were unfair, complained that he could not get explanations of calls from referee Jerome Boger&#x2019;s crew and said he didn&#x2019;t &#x201C;even know what football is right now&#x201D; with the way some personal fouls were called. &#x201C;Obviously after yesterday I&#x2019;ve probably reached my boiling point,&#x201D; Jackson said Monday.</p><p>&#x2022;<strong>LEAGUE FLEXES TV SCHEDULE: </strong>The Lions and Saints are moving to prime time. The Dec. 4 game between Detroit and New Orleans will be played on &#x201C;Sunday Night Football&#x201D; on NBC. The Colts-Patriots matchup was originally in that slot, but the NFL previously announced it was shifting that matchup to earlier in the day under the league&#x2019;s flexible scheduling policy. </p><p>&#x2022;<strong>NINERS&#x2019; GOLDSON SAYS HE LOST HIS COOL:</strong> San Francisco 49ers safety Dashon Goldson insists his fight with Arizona wide receiver Early Doucet in Sunday&#x2019;s game was a one-time transgression and said he addressed his teammates and coaches after the game regarding the mistake. &#x201C;I just got up and retaliated. It wasn&#x2019;t a smart thing,&#x201D; Goldson said. &#x201C; &#x2026;I kind of lost it.&#x201D; The NFL said in an email that the league doesn&#x2019;t plan to suspend Goldson.

Source: Kansas City Star