BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Bears coach Lovie Smith said after Monday's practice that there's a chance the club could bring in another backup quarterback.

With second-string quarterback Caleb Hanie out with the sprained shoulder he sustained Saturday in San Diego, Smith said the club would like to bring in an extra player to take on some of the extra repetitions, which have gone to rookie Dan LeFevour.

"There's a chance we can make a move at the quarterback position," Smith said. "But we'll see how that plays out. Only having two healthy guys is a little bit tough."

Smith mentioned that the club expects Hanie to be ready to play when the Bears open the regular season on Sept. 12 against the Lions. The loss of Hanie, a third-year veteran, leaves starting quarterback Jay Cutler to split reps with LeFevour, which contributes to added wear on the signal callers' arms.

Smith didn't say whether the Bears planned on bringing in a veteran or a rookie from the most recent class.

"We'll look at all options," Smith said. "In an ideal world, he'll have some experience."

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BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Bears rookie quarterback Dan LeFevour rang up the pick meter during Monday’s practice, throwing six interceptions on his first day of operating with an increased workload.

Given extra repetitions because of a shoulder injury to backup quarterback Caleb Hanie in the preseason opener, LeFevour, understandably, struggled, tossing two picks apiece to linebacker Brian Iwuh and reserve cornerback Corey Graham and one to Josh Bullocks.

“You can see there were a few mistakes out there,” LeFevour said after practice. “I’ve got plenty to learn. It’s challenging, obviously, as a rookie coming in learning a new offense, going under center; all those things. But those are excuses. I’ve just got to keep learning, take everything that coach [Mike] Martz, and [quarterbacks] coach [Shane] Day say, and just try to put it to work and take advantage of my reps.”

As it was, Chicago’s defensive players took advantage Monday of LeFevour’s extra reps. As practice broke for the day, Bears coach Lovie Smith walked over to offer the rookie some words of encouragement.

“He just said, ‘Keep getting better every day. You just can’t get down about mistakes. Just keep coming back, keep fighting, because that’s what this is all about,’” LeFevour said. “I’m gonna make mistakes, I know that. I’m not gonna be perfect right away. I’ve just got to keep going at it.”

Despite LeFevour passing for just 21 yards on 2-of-10 completions for a 39.6 passer rating (Bears receivers dropped three of his passes) in the club’s preseason opener at San Diego, Smith expressed optimism about the rookie quarterback’s prospects.

“He’s like most rookies. Right now he’s getting a little bit better every rep he gets,” Smith said. “I thought he did some good things in the game. For your first action in the NFL, that’s a tough situation to be in. The guy gets a little bit better each day.”

A record-setting quarterback at Central Michigan, LeFevour said he knew his rookie year would “be humbling.”

“[It’s] a little frustrating, obviously,” he said. “But I’ve got to keep my head up. I’m getting some good opportunities. It’s a different game. It’s a notch up. It’s a different speed; new terminology, new routes. All those things kind of go in together. So this isn’t my fifth year in a system like I was in college. I’ve got to do as well as I can and just keep learning.”

The Chicago Bears' search for a backup quarterback will have to churn on without Todd Collins after he turned down the team's offer, Collins' agent told NFL.com.

The Bears rejected Collins' request for a signing bonus, his agent Brad Blank told the website.

"We declined their offer based on the fact there were no guarantees involved," Collins' told NFL.com.

The Bears' need for a backup was enhanced when Caleb Hanie suffered a sprained throwing shoulder Saturday in San Diego. He will miss Saturday's game against the Oakland Raiders.

The website said Trent Green, who decided to stay retired, and Damon Huard also turned down the Bears.

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The Great Santo wrote:Collins can say it was about the money, but really he saw the Bears O line the other day and decided he wanted to live to see his next birthday.

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Former Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots quarterback Matt Gutierrez is flying to Chicago for a visit, a league source confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

The Chicago Bears are attempting to fill a void at backup quarterback created after Caleb Hanie suffered a right shoulder sprain Saturday night against San Diego. However, sources told ESPNChicago.com that the team will not sign a quarterback on Tuesday.

MRI exam results showed Hanie suffered no structural damage to his shoulder, and the third-year quarterback is not expected to miss more than a few weeks.

Still, running a training camp with only two quarterbacks is difficult, and the Bears need somebody capable of playing a few series versus the Raiders this upcoming weekend.

Gutierrez, an undrafted free agent out of Idaho State, has attempted only two passes in three NFL seasons.

Todd Collins and Josh McCown rejected Bears overtures to join the team. Trent Green and Damon Huard also reportedly turned down the Bears.

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BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears signed former Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots backup quarterback Matt Gutierrez, according to a team source.

Gutierrez arrived late Tuesday and passed his physical.

The Bears needed another quarterback in camp to back up Jay Cutler after Caleb Hanie sprained his throwing shoulder Saturday in San Diego. Hanie has been ruled out of Saturday's game against the Raiders, but he's expected to return in a few weeks.

An undrafted free agent out of Idaho State, Gutierrez has attempted only two passes in three NFL seasons.

Todd Collins and Josh McCown rejected Bears overtures to join the team. Trent Green and Damon Huard also reportedly turned down the Bears.

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The Chicago Bears signed undrafted rookie free agent safety Aaron Webster to a two-year deal on Wednesday, according to a team source.

The addition of Webster could indicate the high ankle sprain of Craig Steltz may be worse than anticipated. Steltz has been ruled out of Saturday's game against the Oakland Raiders.

Webster was waived by the Houston Texans in June.

The corresponding roster move is not yet known.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears announced Monday they signed veteran quarterback Todd Collins to a one-year contract.

"We've been looking around at the quarterback position for a while," coach Lovie Smith said. " [We] had a chance to play against Todd a few times.

"Just felt it's a good addition to our team. [I] don't know if he'll play this week. As far as where he is on the depth chart and all those things, they'll work themselves out in time."

Collins, 38, played in three games for the Washington Redskins in 2009, and after rejecting an offer last week from the Bears, the veteran accepted a contract that includes guaranteed money in the "six-figure" range, according to a league source.

Interestingly, the team plans -- according to sources familiar with the situation -- to keep three quarterbacks, and open the season with Collins as the primary backup to Jay Cutler, at least initially, while moving current second-stringer Caleb Hanie to the No. 3 spot.

Sources indicated that offensive coordinator Mike Martz didn't feel comfortable opening the regular season with an inexperienced quarterback as the top backup.

"I'm out there to compete," Collins said. "I'm not gonna sell myself short. I've been the No. 2 guy for a long time. Ideally, you can step up and contribute just like the starter. So that's always been my goal throughout my career."

The club initially reached out to Collins, a 15-year veteran with just 20 starts on his dossier, in an attempt to add depth necessitated by a shoulder injury to Hanie in the preseason opener in San Diego.

Collins rejected the offer last week because it didn't include any guaranteed money.

Collins said he's somewhat familiar with Martz's system, after performing in similar schemes in the past with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1998-2005.

"I'm not sure yet really; I haven't discussed that," Collins said when asked if he'd be ready to play Saturday. "I still want to play, and believe I still can. I'm still healthy, and the other big thing [about joining the Bears] was the fit with this team, and specifically the offense. I don't think it should take too long. I think the core of the offense is the same. [Martz has] tweaked some stuff since I was in the offense a few years back, but the base of the offense and philosophy is the same. I don't really anticipate it being too long."

Hanie, meanwhile, hasn't been able to practice since suffering the shoulder injury. Sources familiar with the situation said his rehab has gone well, but the club will likely exercise caution with the quarterback in the coming days. There's a good chance he'll be held out of the preseason finale in Cleveland.

Hanie is expected to be fully healthy when the club opens at home on Sept. 2 against Detroit.

"It's always good to add competition; it'll keep you on your toes," Hanie said. "So I'm just gonna keep on doing the same thing I've been doing. I can't really control what their thoughts are. They try to do what's best for the team. So I've just got to worry about what I can control."

The Bears waived Eric Peterman to make room for Collins.

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Indianplaya17 wrote:I like this move. T. collins is a good backup. Maybe if we had an offensive line that can protect the QB, it would have made more sense.

gtriv420 wrote:

Indianplaya17 wrote:I like this move. T. collins is a good backup. Maybe if we had an offensive line that can protect the QB, it would have made more sense.

Thats why it makes sense. If the O line doesnt improve dramatically Cutler will be sidelinded at some point