NEWS: Orton optimism Bears quarterback doesn't have high an

[G08]

November 4, 2008

BY BRAD BIGGS bbiggs@suntimes.com


Just as quarterback Kyle Orton's development has been a terrific discovery for the Bears, so appears to be news regarding his health.

Reports that Orton will be out at least a month with a right ankle injury have been exaggerated. A source said Orton doesn't have a high ankle sprain and won't miss four weeks or more, and the team is waiting to see how his ankle responds before getting a better idea about what's expected to be a shorter recovery time.

Orton underwent an MRI on Monday morning, and a team spokesman said the Bears would have more information Wednesday.

''I'm not playing doctor; you shouldn't, either,'' coach Lovie Smith said. ''You should let us come and tell you once [we] know for sure exactly what the injury is. We're hopeful, I'll just say that.''

Smith is far from forthcoming when it comes to the aches and sprains of the game, but he often lays out a few tea leaves for inspection. Monday's clues hardly painted the doomsday forecast that could have shelved Orton into December.

A less serious injury would be a stroke of good fortune for the NFC North leaders -- not as much for their game against unbeaten Tennessee (8-0) on Sunday at Soldier Field, but for their trip to Lambeau Field the next week. The Bears (5-3) are entering the meat of their schedule with the Packers and Vikings both one game back.

''He wants to get back as soon as he can,'' Smith said.

If Orton is out, undrafted rookie Caleb Hanie would be one snap away from seeing the field -- not a position a playoff contender wants to be in, no matter how impressive Hanie might've been in August. That the Bears don't intend to sift through the discard pile of passers seeking work is further evidence Orton isn't seriously injured.

''Right now, we're staying exactly the way we are,'' Smith said. ''To do that, you'd say Kyle will be out for a long period of time. We're not there.''

Orton, who turns 26 next week, is in the midst of a breakout season and is halfway toward convincing the organization that its never-ending search for a franchise quarterback is over. He has passed for 1,777 yards and 10 touchdowns and has been a steady force for a team that has had an up-and-down running game and an inconsistent defense.

He also has passed perhaps the truest test for a franchise quarterback: He has made the players around him better. There was a question a day for the line during training camp. It has come together. The wide receivers, minus Devin Hester, could walk down the street without being recognized. Orton has made do with the nondescript bunch, and the offense has thrived.

But in the event they call on Rex Grossman for Sunday, the Bears are as prepared as any team for change. The franchise has changed its starting quarterback 33 times in the last 147 regular-season games, and Grossman has been at the center of the carousel since 2004.

The team has been saying all the right things regarding Grossman, namely that he took the Bears to the Super Bowl in 2006 and has been professional in his approach since losing the competition with Orton. Grossman was a better quarterback last season when he returned almost two months after his September benching. That's why some in the organization were backing him to be the starter this year. Whether that will carry over, who knows?

''Rex is a different style of QB,'' tight end Desmond Clark said. ''He may take a few more chances than Kyle. But both of them are winners, so the offense won't change much.''

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said he ''pretty much went with the game plan'' when Grossman came in Sunday during the third quarter of a 27-23 come-from-behind victory over Detroit. Smith said there would be no change to the offense if Orton misses time, and the expectation is a full week of practice will make Grossman sharper.

Besides the obvious, Orton has a financial stake in returning quickly. Signed through 2009, he can earn up to $1.5 million in escalators for next season with four triggers worth $375,000 each. The levers are 66 percent playing time for the season; 75 percent playing time and postseason participation; 75 percent playing time and 60 percent completion rate; and 75 percent playing time and 20 touchdown passes.

He's on track to reach those marks, but missing even a little time could put the touchdowns in jeopardy. It will look like pocket change anyway when he gets a new deal, probably in the offseason, provided he has a solid finish to the year.

Considering the range of possibilities when Orton rode off the field in a cart Sunday, the Bears appear to be in about the best possible position even if he misses a little time.

''I don't want to be prepared for that,'' Clark said. ''I hope he's not going to miss that much time because he was playing at an elite level.''

[DaDitka]

I would imagine the earliest they would rush him back would be the game it St. Louis, but......

I advise against it. That is where Colombo and Enis were both seriously injured and it's also where Rex broke his ankle.

The Bears just seem to have a history of injuries in that building.

My prediction for that game is that one of Mike Brown's legs actually fall off.

[Boris13c]

My prediction for that game is that one of Mike Brown's legs actually fall off.

that would be a fine and honorable way for the Bears to say farewell to him, a warrior ending things on the field, and anoint Steltz his successor

[Ormazd]

That would be great news about Kyle, if true.