Could JaMarcus Russell finally get his second chance at the NFL? An injury was essentially the only way the quarterback would see the field in 2013 and he might have just gotten a break in that effort. Russell garnered some interest in the offseason, but no one emerged as a serious contender. However, the Bears are officially down a quarterback, opening the door for the former top draft pick.
The Chicago Bears lost third-string quarterback Matt Blanchard for an amount of time after he fractured his knuckle during the team's preseason game against the San Diego Chargers. Blanchard suffered the injury after getting sacked by Jarius Wynn. Now, the Bears are considering looking into the open market for potential replacements.
"I'm not sure about the time that he'll be out, but we're sitting here with two quarterbacks going into next week," Bears coach Marc Trestman said, via ESPN.com. "Certainly that's something that we're gonna have to repair fairly quickly to get a third quarterback on the roster."
The Bears had worked out a few quarterbacks prior to training camp beginning. Russell, Jordan Palmer and Trent Edwards have all worked out for the team previously and could be the team's go-to option if they look to fill the roster spot quickly.
Russell drew positive reviews after his workout with the team. Many scouts complimented him on his arm strength and improved fitness. Russell had been working out with former quarterback Jeff Garcia to improve his overall football fitness. Russell has not seen an NFL football field since 2009 after getting released from the Oakland Raiders.
In the offseason, the NFL Network documented Russell's attempt at a return. He reportedly weighed in at 315 at one point but dropped a lot of the weight in order to get attention from NFL teams. Russell has long been considered a draft bust after the Raiders drafted him No. 1 overall. HE played from 2007-09, making 25 starts in the process. He threw 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
At the moment, the Bears have a healthy Jay Cutler and backup Josh McCown. The reason for slight panic is that Cutler is not exactly the most durable of quarterbacks. He has struggled with plenty of injuries in the past so the Bears are wise to have depth. If Russell is not on an NFL team, he will consider the CFL.