Bears fullback Clutts is a proud papa
According to fullback Tyler Clutts, there aren’t many people who have more to be thankful for than him.
In 2008 and ’09, the Fresno State product played for the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League. Last season he spent two weeks on the Cleveland Browns practice squad and also played in the UFL (United Football League) and AFL (Arena Football League). He was in camp again this season with the Browns, but he was cut again and then signed to their practice squad. The Bears signed him to their active roster on Sept. 7, and he’s played in all 10 games, catching 7 passes for 46 yards and playing special teams. Last week he filled in as the long-snapper when Patrick Mannelly suffered a season-ending ruptured ACL in his left knee.
But all that takes a back seat to attending the birth of his daughter in California in the early-morning hours Monday.
“It’s an amazing year,” he said. “Being here is unbelievable, but having a daughter is going to be the most memorable thing for me that I’ll ever have.”
Because his flight to Fresno was delayed by fog, Clutts arrived just one hour before the birth, after his wife had been in labor for 16 hours with Giada Marie Clutts, 7 pounds, 1 ounce, 19.5 inches.
“My wife is full Italian, and she took the last name ‘Clutts,’ ” the fullback said. “So I was like, ‘Yeah, we can do an Italian first name, that’s great.’ ”
Not Orton:Kyle Orton and his neck beard will not be returning to the Bears.The team agreed to terms Wednesday afternoon with veteran quarterback Josh McCown, who will back up Caleb Hanie while former starter Jay Cutler recovers from Wednesday morning#146;s surgery on his fractured right thumb. Orton, a former starter with the Bears, was cut by the Denver Broncos on Tuesday. He was claimed off waivers Wednesday by the Kansas City Chiefs.The Bears also put in a claim for Orton, but since the waiver process goes from worst to first, the 4-6 Chiefs claim superseded that of the 7-3 Bears. McCown has started 31 games and played in 47 during eight NFL seasons with the Cardinals (2002-05), Lions (2006), Raiders (2007) and Panthers (2008-09).#147;I have a history with Josh,#148; coach Lovie Smith said. #147;He#146;s an East Texas guy from Jacksonville, about 20 miles from where I#146;m from back home (Big Sandy). In 2006, when he went to Detroit, we tried to get him to become a Bear then. Last year in training camp, we tried to get him to come on board. So it#146;s only fitting we eventually get him to become a part of our team.#148; McCown was a third-round pick (81st overall) by the Cardinals. The 6-foot-4, 213-pounder out of Sam Houston State has completed 610 of 1,058 passes (57.7 percent) for 6,584 yards, 35 touchdowns, 40 interceptions and a 71.3 passer rating. Injury report:Cornerback D.J. Moore (ankle) missed practice and safety Brandon Meriweather (concussion) was limited.Ten Raiders missed practice including wide receivers Darius Heyward-Bey, Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, running back Darren McFadden and defensive tackle Richard Seymour. Five other players were limited. Coming and going:The Bears signed offensive tackle Perry Dorrestein to the practice squad, and the practice squad contract of offensive tackle Josh Davis was terminated.The 6-7, 325-pound Dorrestein is from Plainfield, and he attended Plainfield Central High School before starting 22 games for Michigan.