The suspense about who would line up under center Sept. 7 in the season opener in Indianapolis ended Monday when Kyle Orton was chosen as the Bears’ starting quarterback.
Coach Lovie Smith cited several factors in choosing Orton over Rex Grossman, concluding a widely publicized competition that began in the spring and continued into the summer.
“To come to a decision like that, we’ve taken a lot of things into consideration like last year, how we finished the season, OTAs, training camp, preseason games,” Smith said. “In the end it comes down to a gut feeling that you have, and I feel good about Kyle leading our team.”
Coach Smith gave Orton the decision during a meeting on Monday.
“Obviously I’m excited,” said the 2005 fourth-round pick from Purdue. “I want to try to make the most of it and win football games. This was one of my goals going into the season. As a team, we’ve got a lot of goals to accomplish and this is just the start of it.”
Kyle Orton has compiled a 12-6 record as a starting quarterback in three seasons.