CHICAGO -- A question: Could this finally be the end of the Rex Grossman era in Chicago?
Answer: You bet your sweet ass it could be, and sooner than you think.
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| Fans seem to want him out, and there are signs Rex Grossman's teammates want a change, too. (Getty Images) |
No one in the Bears organization or locker room will say this on the record or in any official capacity, and this story is not an attempt to say anything has been definitively decided.
But there are indications Grossman's leash is shorter than ever. And while Chicago players took their fair share of the blame for being physically manhandled by the Cowboys, there is a growing irritation in the Bears locker room with Grossman's high number of miscues -- six interceptions in three games for those keeping score at home. So much irritation, in fact, Grossman's support from teammates might be at its lowest point during his time in Chicago.
Indeed, the leash is so short it's not even a leash. It's an ejector seat with coach Lovie Smith's finger just a few millimeters away and inching closer.
And no one should be surprised if a change is announced at quarterback midweek. Not saying it's going to happen, but I wouldn't be stunned if it did.
Then again, it doesn't take the vice president of Mensa to figure out Grossman is in deep doo-doo. Stevie Wonder booed him Sunday night. One more interception and Grossman could be named Keith Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World."
For his part, Grossman continues to be a standup guy, the figurative dead man walking, calmly smoking a cigarette as the firing squad takes aim. He was unabashed and undeterred when meeting with the media. He deserves a great deal of credit for not running and hiding, even if he seemed totally oblivious to the trouble he was in.
"I have to take care of the football and start making plays," he said. When asked if he feared losing his job, Grossman responded: "I'm going about my business and not worrying about things I can't control." Would it surprise him if he were benched? "Same answer," he said.
"Rex Grossman is our quarterback," Smith said. "We won't make any decisions until we've seen the video."
When Smith does watch said video, it will be worse than the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He will see a quarterback still throwing into triple-coverage, a quarterback stumbling through standard progressions and someone making panic throws at the slightest amount of pressure. And he will see a player who has tossed 26 interceptions since the beginning of 2006, which ties him for the most in football with Jon Kitna.
Against Dallas, Grossman was 15-for-32 for 195 yards, three interceptions and a George Halas-spinning-in-his-grave rating of 27.5.
