Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith expects Jay Cutler to start despite concussion
Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith is optimistic that the Bears' starting quarterback, Jay Cutler, will be ready to go for their upcoming game against the Carolina Panthers next Sunday, despite having to sit out for the second half of their 17-3 loss to
the New York Giants in week four.
"Jay is here," Smith said. "It seems like he [is] in pretty good shape right now. There are no visual signs or anything that I could tell. I try not to be the doctor, and I leave that to other people. It seems like he's OK today."
Cutler's concussion came on a night when the Bears offensive line allowed the Giants to get to the quarterback nine times in the first half. It was on that ninth sack, by Giants cornerback Aaron Ross, that Cutler's head struck the turf. Going into the locker
room, Cutler began to show signs of a concussion.
"As I said, when we thought something was going on [it] was after that last sack that he took right before the half," Smith said. "That's when he showed the symptoms of a concussion, and we did something about it."
Cutler struggled for the entire first half against the Giants, and despite the Giants defence continually throwing pressure to the Bears' quarterback, coach Smith said he never had any intention of pulling Cutler so long as he was fit to play.
"We were trying to win the football game...and Jay gave us our best option to do that. Jay wasn't thinking about coming out of the game. Everybody out there was trying to make a play. Keep in mind, it was a 3-0 game. Taking out the quarterback during that
time? No, that doesn't cross my mind."
Although Bears backup quarterback Todd Collins was also injured in the game against the Giants, he is also expected to return to practice in order to support Cutler.
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