Young quarterbacks hope for the chance to shine in the spotlight for a number of reasons -- from gaining a starting spot to earning a major paycheck. Caleb Hanie of the Chicago Bears gets that chance on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, and Albert Breer says this is a prime chance for him to earn that check this off-season.
"A fourth-year pro, Hanie is an interesting spot to compete for the eyes of clubs that might try and bargain shop for quarterbacks in the offseason, and get into a group that could include fellow young veterans Matt Flynn (Packers) and Brian Hoyer (Patriots)," writes Breer.
"Hanie's story is an interesting one, too, that relates back to Romo. In 2003, Romo was considering offers as an undrafted free agent, and took less to go to Dallas, rather than Denver (Mike Shanahan was an Eastern Illinois QB just like Romo) where the quarterback situation was more settled. Five years later, Hanie came into the NFL, and made a similar decision, that tied him to Romo, as the Cowboys came after him as an undrafted free agent. Because Romo had just signed a six-year deal with Dallas, he saw more opportunity in Chicago, and took less money to go there. Now, the decision could well pay off, not to the degree it did for Romo, but for similar reasons."
Hanie hopes to make a strong showing against a Chiefs team losing any remaining grip on the season fast, but their defense is their strong suit. They already made Ben Roethlisberger work for a win and Hanie should expect the same.
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