Jay Cutler Injury Update: Jimmy Clausen is Bears quarterback until further notice

For the Chicago Bears, losing 1st round draft pick Kevin White to the Physically Unable to Perform list before the season was a huge blow, and the compounding injuries of Alshon Jeffery only makes the Chicago Bears offense that much more lacking.

But as Bears fans already know, losing your starting quarterback can change things on a completely different level.

On Sunday versus the Arizona Cardinals, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler threw an incredibly ill-advised pass right into the arms of Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson, and as many quarterbacks tend to do, Cutler gave pursuit in an attempt to make the tackle.

Unfortunately for Cutler, Jefferson gave a stiff-arm that landed Cutler face down in the grass, and the last action that Cutler would see all day way Jefferson speeding down the field on his way to the end zone.  Adding insult to injury, literally.

Cutler was taken to the locker room for evaluation with just over 3:00 left in the 2nd quarter, and initially it was assumed that he had suffered an arm or shoulder injury due to the way he landed when he hit the ground.  But eventually, the team would say it was a hamstring injury, with nothing in the upper body injured.

How bad is Cutler's hammy?  John Fox said after the game that 'It takes a while to run tests. Our medical people will inform me, and then I will inform you."

As Cutler walked of the field headed to the locker room on Sunday, his limp was only slight.  Certainly an eye test through the television set is not a dependable medical evaluation, but it at least didn't appear to be significant.  That said, Cutler has a tendency to hide injuries pretty well, so we don't really have a clue as to how bad it truly is.

Best case scenario is that it is only a mild hamstring injury, and Cutler could be back within a couple of weeks.  But often times, hamstring injuries take much longer.  So for now, Jimmy Clausen is the Chicago Bears quarterback.  And he will be until further notice.

Stay tuned...

EDIT: A little something for the conspiracy theorists...

If Cutler hurt his right shoulder, then why would he be holding his helmet with his right arm?

That's the face of a pulled hamstring,if it was his right shoulder as reported he wouldn't be holding his helmet w/it pic.twitter.com/FlccibwDMF

— Mike Brez (@mikebrez5) September 20, 2015

If his left arm was hurt he wouldn't be holding his kid with his left.

Also he's pointing with his right arm in the photo.

Thoughts?