Rozner: Packers' QB constant reminder for Bears
As we sit here today, Brian Hoyer is probably the Bears' starting quarterback heading into the spring of 2017.
John Fox hasn't been shy in professing his affection for Hoyer, though he may be merely the least of all evils in the head coach's mind, and there's plenty of time for free agents and draft picks.
It is once again difficult, however, to ponder the relative merits of Hoyer, Matt Barkley and Connor Shaw while Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers into another NFC title game Sunday.
In the past 25 years of Rodgers and Brett Favre, Green Bay has reached the postseason 19 times with seven conference championship appearances, three Super Bowls and two rings.
In that same 25 years, the Bears have been to the playoffs five times with two conference championship games, one Super Bowl and zero rings.
And during the Favre-Rodgers era, the following quarterbacks have started games for the Bears:
Hoyer, Barkley, Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen, Josh McCown, Jason Campbell, Caleb Hanie, Todd Collins, Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton, Brian Griese, Chad Hutchinson, Craig Krenzel, Jonathan Quinn, Kordell Stewart, Chris Chandler, Jim Miller, Henry Burris, Shane Matthews, Cade McNown, Erik Kramer, Steve Stenstrom, Moses Moreno, Rick Mirer, Dave Krieg, Steve Walsh, Jim Harbaugh, Peter Tom Willis and Will Furrer.
And those are just the ones who started.
Brings back a few repressed memories, huh? Yeah, sorry about that.
Raise your hand if you even remember Campbell or Collins being here - and they both started games in the last seven years.
So if you're keeping score at home, that's 29 different starting quarterbacks while the Packers have owned the division for 25 years with two quarterbacks.
It's not as if the Bears haven't tried to address the position with picks or acquisitions in the last three decades. They simply haven't succeeded.
A look at the four quarterbacks left standing this season - Rodgers, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan and Ben Roethlisberger - doesn't offer any guarantees of a path for the Bears to follow.
Brady (sixth round, 2000) sat for a year, getting a chance to learn from a veteran quarterback.
Rodgers (first round, 2005) sat for three years, getting a chance to develop behind a veteran quarterback.
But Ryan (first round, 2008) started immediately and every game for the Falcons since being drafted third overall, except for two games he missed to injury in 2009.
Roethlisberger (first round, 2004) was supposed to sit his first year and began as the No. 3 QB, but injuries and ineffectiveness forced him into the lineup in Game 2, and after starting Game 3 as a rookie he went 13-0 that season.
There are a lot of ways to get there today, like the Cam Newton way (No. 1 overall), the Drew Brees way (second round), the Russell Wilson way (third round) or the Dak Prescott way (fourth round).
Accidents or miracles, like Tom Brady, are uncommon. Mostly, there are really good college players drafted and developed, regardless of round, with the expressed written consent of management and ownership, knowing it may not happen overnight.
The bottom line is you better find a great quarterback and give him time to develop properly - or you watch the playoffs on TV while your neighbors to the North play in big games every January.
brozner@dailyherald.com
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