We already all knew that the Chicago Bears would be without quarterback Jay Cutler when they face the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Few injuries this season have gotten more attention than Cutler's thumb surgery, which has forced the contending Bears to turn to inexperienced back-up Caleb Hanie as they hit the stretch run of the season.
Hanie is making the first start of his NFL career on Sunday in place of Cutler, although he's not the only Bears player to be inactive against the Raiders on Sunday. Here's the full inactive list, from Oakland's official Twitter feed:
- QB Jay Cutler
- QB Josh McCown
- CB D.J. Moore
- DT Anthony Adams
- TE Andre Smith
- LB Jabara Williams
- OG Ricky Henry
Cutler and nickelback D.J. Moore are the big names here. McCown is expected to become Hanie's back-up next week, but after signing so recently the club clearly isn't comfortable letting him run of the offense yet. After some more reps in practice, expect McCown to be activated soon to give the team an alternative to Hanie and current back-up Nathan Enderle.
For more on this game, check out the Bears blog Windy City Gridiron and Raiders blog Silver and Black Pride. Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more Chicago sports scores and updates.