Bears’ QB decision: Is Hanie a No. 2 or 3?

The biggest question the Bears face at quarterback is whether Caleb Hanie is or is not the top backup behind Jay Cutler.

The questionable decision to demote Hanie to No. 3 last year behind Todd Collins may have cost the Bears a chance to play in Super Bowl. After Cutler was injured in the NFC championship game against the Green Bay Packers, Hanie clearly outplayed Collins, who directed two wasted series before Hanie was summoned.

With Collins gone, the Bears now must decide if they want to sign a veteran in free agency, and whether he should be ahead of Hanie or behind him on the depth chart.

Hanie, a three-year veteran from Colorado State, was picked off twice against the Packers, but he directed 2 fourth-quarter TD drives (the only points the Bears scored), and the offense clearly responded to his direction. It remains to be seen if that performance won over offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who was not one of Hanie’s biggest fans last season.

The Bears showed enough interest in the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Hanie to tender him a contract offer as a restricted free agent. What still must be determined is if the coaching staff has the faith to make him the first option after Cutler.

While the discussion over Cutler’s knee injury and exit from the NFC title game continues ad nauseum, there is no doubt that the confident QB has the backing of Bears coaches and players.

If there is an upside to the criticism and questions about his toughness in the final game, it probably created a stronger bond between Cutler and his teammates. He made significant strides last season, despite working behind a porous offensive line that he could have blamed for some of his struggles but did not.

Regardless of their intentions in free agency, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bears drafted a quarterback in the middle or late rounds as a project for the future.

Need: 3 (On a scale with 10 representing a dire need and 1 representing no need at all).