Surgery to end Cutler’s season, perhaps Bears ties
Jay Cutler’s season is over, and his time in Chicago might be, too.
Coach John Fox announced Thursday that the veteran quarterback will have season-ending surgery on his right shoulder, the latest blow in a lost year for the Bears.
The operation to repair the labrum will take place Saturday.
“I talked to him earlier today. He’s in good spirits,” Fox said. “It wasn’t like it was never going to be an option. You try to avoid it, especially for a quarterback on your throwing shoulder. But he talked to many capable doctors.”
Matt Barkley figures to start his second straight game when the Bears (2-9) host San Francisco (1-10) on Sunday.
Cutler injured his shoulder during a loss to the New York Giants on Nov. 20 but finished the game. Fox initially insisted the injury was not season-ending. But after working through treatment options, Cutler won’t play again this season. If he has thrown his last pass for Chicago, Fox wouldn’t confirm it.
Cutler no longer has a high salary-cap figure, so it becomes more likely he could be traded or cut in the offseason.
Gronk’s season might be over
Rob Gronkowski’s season might be over.
The star New England Patriots tight end is having surgery for a herniated disk in his back, a person with knowledge of the details tells the Associated Press. The surgery was first reported by the Buffalo News.
Gronkowski is likely to be out for eight weeks or more. The three-time All-Pro has missed 20 games in his career and played many others while not 100 percent.
Merry-go-round for Packers’ LBs
The Green Bay Packers will have two players line up at inside linebacker Sunday against the Texans.
Who they’ll be is anyone’s guess.
The good news at least for Green Bay is that two starters are getting closer to returning at a position where injuries have sapped depth and weakened the run defense.
Second-year starter Jake Ryan hasn’t played a snap on defense the last three weeks after injuring an ankle on a first-series punt at Tennessee on Nov. 13.
Rookie starter Blake Martinez suffered a knee sprain late in the game at Washington on Nov. 20 and didn’t play on Monday night at Philadelphia.
With both players inactive against the Eagles, Clay Matthews was moved from outside linebacker to inside linebacker and started alongside Joe Thomas.
Matthews, however, injured his shoulder on the opening series when he was leveled by Eagles right tackle Allen Barbre on an end-around. Matthews played most of the game after going to the locker room for a painkilling injection.
Odds and ends
Troy Vincent, the league’s vice president of football operations, told the Associated Press he expects the NFL to hire as many as 17 full-time officials this offseason. The additions are allowed under the collective bargaining agreement and would increase the size of officiating crews from seven to eight, Vincent said. …
New York Jets center Nick Mangold fully practiced for the first time since spraining his right ankle on Oct. 23, putting him on track to play Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts.