With Jay Cutler out for the rest of the season, new Chicago Bears starting quarterback Matt Barkley is expected to get a real chance to prove he belongs in the NFL.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, the final four games of the 2016 NFL season will serve as a proving ground for the former USC star:
Nobody has said anything publicly, but word is that Bears quarterback Matt Barkley has played well enough to get a good look during the final four games now that Jay Cutler has been placed on injured reserve. At the very least, Barkley has a shot to prove he can be a solid No. 2 in a league where he was just starting to get kicked around.
Barkley has started each of the last two games for the Bears.
He completed 28 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns in his first NFL start against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12. A fourth touchdown pass—which would have served as the go-ahead score—was dropped in the end zone by Bears receiver Josh Bellamy.
Last week, snowy conditions in Chicago limited Barkley to just 18 passes during a 26-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He completed 11 passes for 192 yards and zero turnovers, finishing with a passer rating of 97.5.
A fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, Barkley was traded to the Arizona Cardinals before the 2015 season. He never played a game for the Cardinals, who eventually released Barkley before the start of this season. The Bears then signed him to the practice squad, where he stayed until Cutler injured his thumb early in the year.
If Barkley performs well over the final four games, the Bears could entertain the idea of bringing him back as a bridge player to whomever Chicago decides to groom as the franchise’s quarterback of the future.
Over seven career games, Barkley has completed 75 of 157 passes for 889 yards, three touchdowns and eight interceptions. He will be a free agent after this season.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
