Injured QB Hanie isn't worried about losing job as Cutler's backup
BOURBONNAIS - Quarterback Caleb Hanie says he's not worried about losing his backup spot behind Jay Cutler because of the shoulder injury he suffered Saturday.
But coach Lovie Smith did say the Bears are considering their options.
"There's a chance we could make a move at the quarterback position, but we'll see how that plays out a little bit," Smith said. "Only having two healthy guys, it's a little bit tougher."
The only question for now seems to be whether the Bears will bring in another young player or a veteran.
"We'll look at all options," Smith said. "In an ideal world he would have some experience."
One possibility is Todd Collins, who is 38 and threw just 23 passes for Washington last season. But as recently as 2007 he started three games for the Redskins and had a passer rating of 106.4 with 5 touchdown passes and no interceptions.
With only four days until preseason Game 2 and less than a month until the start of the regular season, the only healthy player behind Cutler is sixth-round draft pick Dan LeFevour, who is considered a major project.
LeFevour completed 2 of 10 passes for 21 yards in Saturday night's preseason opener at San Diego, and he was picked off five times during Monday afternoon's practice.
"He's like most rookies right now," Smith said of LeFevour, who started 51 games at Central Michigan and is the NCAA Bowl Subdivision's all-time leader with 150 touchdowns. "He's getting a little bit better with every rep he gets. I thought he did some good things in the game."
Hanie believes he will be back before the start of the regular season and maybe sooner.
Since signing with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008, he has thrown just 7 regular-season passes, but he has completed 70 of 116 passes for 843 yards, 6 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in the preseason.
Against the Chargers on Saturday, he completed 10 of 17 passes for 148 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception.
"I'm not worried about losing the No. 2 job," Hanie said. "I feel like I've done enough to earn that position.
"What I have is not a season-ending injury, not even a half-season, not even the beginning of the season. It's a nonsurgical thing. I am definitely not worried about losing that position, if that's what people are wondering."
But it's in the preseason where Hanie has shown enough promise to earn the trust of the coaching staff, and his availability for the next three weeks is questionable at best.
The Bears might have no choice but to look outside for help.
"It will be best for the team, whatever they do," Hanie said. "(But) the only way I could see that is if I was possibly not going to be back for the first (regular-season) game or something like that.
"Then you would obviously understand why they would bring a guy in because you cannot go in with just two quarterbacks, with one being a rookie."
With Hanie sidelined, LeFevour will get a lot more practice reps. Also, Cutler has never missed an NFL game because of injury.
But the Bears would not go into the regular season with the 23-year-old rookie as the only alternative behind Cutler.
"I'm not satisfied," LeFevour said after Monday afternoon's disaster. "As you can see, there were a few mistakes out there.
"I've got plenty to learn. The good thing is I've got some great teachers that know exactly what I'm supposed to do, and I've just got to take that in and do the best I can."
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