Dan Hampton on a recent Hamp & Holmes Radio show said that in the thirty years since he was drafted the Bears have had 30 different starting quarterbacks. Well I've been following them for 20 years and in that time I've seen 22 different starters. They've tried undrafted free agents (Tomczak), high draft picks (McNown), low draft picks (Moreno), & trades (Mirer). All have come and gone without leaving the desired stability. In those 20 years there have been three seasons where one QB has started all 16 games, in nine seasons two QBs have started, seven of them saw three starters and one - the horrible '04 season - saw 4 QBs make starts. Now with the capital BOLD trade for Jay Cutler the Bears are hoping they've slammed that revolving door shut for the next decade or so. I first started following the Bears in 1989 just about the time the Bears were trading away their last 'franchise' QB, Jim McMahon. So for the '89 season UDFA ('85) Mike Tomczak was named the starter. He and Jim Harbaugh (1st rounder '87) would split time over the next two seasons. '89 saw the two of them lead the Bears to a 6-10 record, Tomczak threw 16 TDs and 16 interceptions as the defense was hit badly by injuries. 1990 saw Harbaugh win the starting job and he went on to start the first 14 games before getting knocked out for the season, Tomczak took over going 1-1 before leading the Bears over the Saints in the playoffs. The Bears would be thrashed in the next round by the Giants. Tomczak joined the Packers after the season asa Plan B free agent. In 1991 Harbaugh was the starter with Peter Tom Willis (3rd rounder '90) his backup. 1991 was a rarity for the Bears in that Harbaugh would go on to start every game. 1992 saw Harbaugh start 13 games as the Bears collapsed in Mike Ditka's last season. Peter Tom Willis saw two starts and things were so bad that rookie Will Furer (fourth rounder '92) started the last game against the Cowboys. Furer went 9/25 for 89 yards 3 interceptions and a 7.3 QB rating, and his NFL career was over. Dave Wannstedt was hired as the new coach & Harbaugh was signed to a record contract. The Bears got 15 starts out of Harbaugh with Willis starting the other game. Willis was so bad that the after Bears cut him, he ended up playing in the A.F.L. The end of the '93 season marked the end of a pretty consistent time for the position in Chicago. From '90 -'93 Harbaugh had started 58 out of 64 games & left as the Bears all-time leader in attempts and completions and second in yards.
One year after signing that big contract he was cut & signed with the Colts who he would lead to one game off a Super Bowl and. He was also named to a Pro Bowl in '95. 1994-1998 were the Erik Kramer years, a time filled with injury and ineptitude at the position. Kramer joined the Bears in '94 as a FA, the Bears also inked weak-armed Steve Walsh to be his backup. Kramer started out 1-2 before Walsh got the nod winning the next 3 games. He couldn't put up the numbers Kramer could however, and Kramer was re-inserted. It wasn't long before Walsh took over for good, and he would go on to win seven straight at one stage. The Bears barely made the play-offs, with Walsh leading them past the Vikings in an upset. The Bears were turfed out by the Niners one wee later, with Walsh being pulled for Kramer during the game.1995 saw Kramer start all 16 games for the only time in his Bears career (he was hurt in '94, '96 and '98). After the season Walsh left as a FA and 17-year vet Dave Krieg was brought in as insurance. That insurance policy was used after just 4 games as Kramer suffered from a herniated back. The off-season saw Wanny send a 1st rounder to Seattle for Rick Mirer (yes you can still hear Seahawks fans laughing at that one) as Kramer's status was uncertain. Kramer was named the starter and Mirer would only start three games, without throwing for any TDs. He was cut after the season. Kramer's contract was extended in '98 for two more seasons, however injury hit again and after eight starts he was gone for the year. Steve Stenstrom (waivers '95) started seven but the man Bill Walsh once compared to Joe Montanna was so bad that Moses Moreno (7th rounder '98) started a game.
All three were gone after the season as the Bears started afresh again. Shane Matthews (FA ), Cade McNown (1st rounder '99) & Jim Miller (FA '98) were the '99 starters and also the 2000 starters. In those 2 years Matthews started 12, McNown 15 & Miller 5. McNown self destructed and his petulance and arrogance nearly led to a mutiny before the final game of '00. He was cut after the 2000 season. In '01 Matthews started three games before Miller took over and led the Bears to the playoffs. He got hurt in the playoff game and Matthews was so ineffective that he wasn't brought back in '02. Miller signed a 5-year contract extension but in '02 started just 8 games before injury hit. Chris Chandler was by now the starter and started seven games before also getting hurt. Henry Burris, an ex-CFL QB, started the last game. He was pathetic and went straight back to Canada. Miller was also gone after the season. In his four years he lost time to injury and suspension. An interesting fact on Miller was that he lost his starting job in Pittsburgh to former Bear Mike Tomczak, and his starting job with the Frankfurt Galaxy to former Bear Paul Justin both after just one half of play. 2003 saw the arrival of Kordell Stewart (FA) and Rex Grossman (1st rounder '03). Stewart played poorly and started seven games. Chandler started six and the rookie Grossman got in for the last three games before being hurt in the finale.
The horrible '04 season was next. Grossman started three games before being lost for the season. Newly signed Jonathon Quinn started three while giving a poor impersonation of an NFL QB. Rookie Craig Krenzel (5th rounder '04) started five winning four behind some great D play. Chad Hutchinson (FA) started five. Following the season Quinn and Krenzel were cut with Grossman named the starter. It didn't last past the pre-season. Grossman was again lost for the season & Hutchinson was so bad that he was cut before the season started. The reins were left in the hands of Kyle Orton (4th rounder '05). The rookie started the next 15 games winning 10 starts behind some great D as the Bears made the play-offs. Grossman made one start and led the team in the play-offs. For '06 Grossman was again named the starter and for the only time in his career started all 16 games as the Bears went to the Super Bowl. His play dropped off badly in the second half off the season as "Good Rex, Bad Rex" was born. Big things were expected in '07 but sadly the revolving door was back. Grossman threw four TDs, seven INTs and had a QB rating of 67.1. New backup Brian Griese started six games going 3-3 but his play was hot and cold, while Orton started three games and did well enough to force a QB competition for the '08 season. Orton would start 15 games last season and before being injured was playing as well as anyone in the NFL. Grossman started one game. The Bears failed to make the play-offs and after the season Angelo said the QB position would be upgraded. Grossman remains a FA and will forever be known as the injury prone long ball loving QB who led the Bears to a Super Bowl. Before being traded to the Broncos Orton left the Bears with a career 75% winning record. Which brings us back to Cutler. The Bears gave up a steep price for the 25 year old QB, namely a 1st & a 3rd in '09, a 1st in 2010 and Orton, but the Bears got a Pro-Bowler, not to mention a 5th this year. There are still questions about Cutler but the Bears are convinced they've solved their QB problems. But Bears Fans: don't get too comfortable. With only UDFAs Caleb Hanie and Brett Basanez on the roster that revolving door could start up again pretty quickly if anything happens to Cutler.
