McCown set to continue to deputise in his absence.
Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has suffered a muscle tear in his groin and isn’t expected to return until the end of November.
After undergoing an MRI scan on Monday, the team announced that the 30-year-old will be missing for at least the next four weeks after assessing the degree of damage.
Cutler suffered the injury during the 45-41 loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday, as he left the field with 10:09 remaining in the first half after being hit to the ground on a sack by Chris Baker.
However, coach Marc Trestman has confirmed that he won’t undergo surgery and he will instead begin rehabilitation immediately.
“I’m only confident by what [the doctors] told me,” Trestman said according to ESPN. “This is a minimum of four weeks, and then he’ll be evaluated week to week. But based on the history — I talked to the doctors this morning — four weeks is a reasonable start, and then it would be week to week.
Cutler’s absence will see veteran Josh McCown promoted to a starting role, while the Bears have also signed Jordan Palmer to serve as his back-up.
Nevertheless, Trestman is confident that McCown can provide decent cover for Cutler, after he completed 14 of 20 passes for 204 yards which included a 7-yard touchdown pass for Martellus Bennett on Sunday.
Cutler is expected to be back for the clash with the St. Louis Rams on November 24, but for now the focus in Chicago will be on dealing with his absence as this is the first time he has been sidelined since last November.
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