The Jay Cutler era was a disappointment and the Mitch Trubisky experience a failure. But neither dubious episode epitomizes the Bears’ desperate search for a quarterback like this one: In 1997, the Bears traded for the worst quarterback in the NFL in search of their franchise quarterback.
It’s true. Rick Mirer’s 56.6 passer rating in nine starts with the Seahawks in 1996 was the lowest in the NFL. The NFL’s co-offensive rookie of the year in 1993, Mirer’s star had dropped so precipitously that he was benched in favor of John Friesz at midseason before regaining the starting job and slumping to the finish.