Jimmy Clausen is the favorite to be Chicago Bears’ No. 2 QB
One of the storylines of Chicago Bears’ camp is who will be the backup to quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler missed five games last season and missed six games back in 2011 so getting a solid backup after losing Josh McCown to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is key. Although they have thought about taking a look at a former Bear, Kyle Orton, the battle is between a couple of other veterans, Jimmy Clausen and Jordan Palmer.
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Clausen impressed many by going seven-of-13 for 150 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears’ 34-28 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles Friday night. Palmer looked good as well, completing eight-of-11 passes for 104 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Michael C. Wright of ESPN Chicago reports Clausen remains the favorite to win the job over Palmer but the Bears won’t decide for some time.
"Considering Jay Cutler hasn’t played an entire 16-game season since 2009, Chicago’s competition for the No. 2 quarterback is vitally important. Both candidates made strong cases with Jimmy Clausen coming out with a slight edge. After Cutler performed sharply in two possessions (9 of 13 for 85 yards and a TD for a passer rating of 112.7), Jordan Palmer entered the game with 58 seconds left in the first quarter. Palmer started 3 for 3 for 39 yards before throwing an interception to Nate Allen on his fourth attempt. Palmer completed 8 of 11 for 104 yards and a touchdown to go with a passer rating of 94.9……Clausen may lead the No. 2 QB derby right now, but don’t expect coach Marc Trestman to make a decision about the backup until later in the preseason."
Clausen, who was selected with the 48th-overall pick in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He completed 157 of 299 passes for 1,588 yards with three touchdowns and nine interceptions as a rookie. In 2011, the Panthers drafted Cam Newton with the first-overall pick and Clausen hasn’t played since. Palmer, the younger brother of Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback Carson Palmer, was a sixth-round pick of the Washington Redskins back in 2007. He has completed 10-of-15 passes for 59 yards with two interceptions in his career.