The benching of Rex Grossman is long overdue

After yet another horrific performance yesterday, where he threw no less than 3 interceptions, bringing his season total to a whopping 6 interceptions in only 3 games, Rex Grossman, the incumbent quarterback of the Chicago Bears sounded like a broken record.

"Turnovers were the issue,'' Grossman said during the post-game press conference. "You just can't have that. We have to fix that. We have to be able to make plays and still hold onto the football. We're just gonna come to practice, have a team meeting, work out, realize we're a good football team and fix our problems.''

Bears fans have heard enough of this tune.

Time and again on Sunday night the Bears brick-wall defense made plays, turnovers and key stops, which Rex Grossman and the offense promptly squandered. Interceptions on defense turned into 3-and-out punts on offense. Over and over, and over again, Rex Grossman was unable to take advantage of good field position. This is of course a familiar scene for Bears fans – games like Sunday night, where turnovers essentially gave the game away to the Dallas Cowboys, have happened all too frequently during the dreadful tenure of Rex Grossman at the helm.

How much longer can the Chicago Bears defensive players put up with this ineptitude before they lose all patience and stop playing? Judging from the booing in Soldier Field, Bears fans have already given up and have had enough of Grossman’s uselessness. Most realize that backup quarterback Brian Griese may not be the answer, but they’re absolutely, 100 percent sure that Grossman doesn’t even know the question.

GM Jerry Angelo and Bears management share the blame

It’s not as though the Bears haven’t had the chances to fix this quarterback issue. Every summer for the last three seasons Bears management has had ample opportunity, if they were so inclined, to shore up the quarterback position with a veteran presence, or look to the future with a stud rookie. But, despite the unbelievably apparent shortcomings at the QB position, they paid no mind to free agents like Drew Bress, Matt Shaub, Jeff Garcia and Matt Hasselbeck, as, one after another, they found homes in places other than Soldier Field. This so called “commitment” to Grossman, in the face of repeated futility, is absolutely inexcusable.

Take a look at some of the free-agent quarterbacks that have been available over the last 3 summers:

2007: Matt Shaub, David Carr, Jeff Garcia, Joey Harrington
2006: Drew Brees, Jon Kitna (Bears signed Brian Griese)
2005: Matt Hasselbeck, Drew Bress, Jeff Garcia

Or some rookie quarterbacks that the Bears have passed up in the draft over the past 3 seasons:

2007: Kevin Kolb, Drew Stanton
2006: Travaris Jackson, DJ Shockley
2005: Jason Campbell, Aaron Rogers, Derek Anderson (Bears picked Kyle Orton in the 4th round)

Bears fans can only imagine Shaub, Hasselbeck or Bress as their quarterback? Any one of those guys could easily make the Bears favorites in the relatively weak NFC, and give them a legitimate shot at taking out their AFC opponent in the Super Bowl. Any one of those quarterbacks could make the efforts of one of the toughest defenses in recent memory worthwhile.

As it stands though, the Chicago Bears are a pathetic 1-2, with the 1 win coming against the Kansas City Chiefs, one of the worst teams in the league this season. Every single player on the Bears defense, who give their blood and sweat every week in shutting down their opponents, deserve better. Players on the offensive side of the ball, talented players like Bernard Berrian, Mushin Muhammad, Olin Kreutz and Devin Hester deserve better.

"It's on my shoulders to take care of the football,'' Grossman said yesterday. "I have to start making plays, do what I do best. You have to get back to basics, make sure you see where you're throwing it. Football is mental. We're all talented players."

Yes Rex, the Bears are a talented team, but please don’t include yourself in that conversation.