Brian Urlacher: Josh McCown should start over Jay Cutler for Bears

Josh McCown was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 14. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said Wednesday on Fox Sports Daily that Josh McCown should remain Chicago's starting quarterback regardless of whether Jay Cutler is healthy.

SI WIRE: Kirk Cousins to start over RGIII for Redskins

Urlacher said if he were still on the team, he "would have a hard time" if the Bears went back to Cutler and demoted the 34-year-old McCown to the sidelines:

"It’s going to be awfully hard to take Josh out of there right now the way he’s playing. In my opinion, he should be the guy, he should be the starting quarterback of the Bears, even if Jay Cutler is healthy. You can’t take a guy who’s this hot out of the football game. If I was on that team, I would have a hard time with them taking him out." (h/t Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com)

Urlacher also said he thinks that the 30-year-old Cutler, who has been out with a high ankle sprain suffered Nov. 10 against the Lions, is healthy, suggesting that the Bears are exaggerating the seriousness of the injury so as to avoid making a decision right now about who to name as their starting quarterback. Head coach Marc Trestman said earlier this week that Cutler will absolutely play again in 2013 and that when he's healthy, "he'll be our quarterback."

McCown has been on rosters for seven NFL teams since debuting with the Arizona Cardinals in 2002. This season, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 14, completing 27 of 36 passes for 348 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 141.9 passer rating, leading the Bears to a 45-28 win at home on Dec. 9 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Chicago plays next with a game against the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday.

FARRAR: The All-22: Peyton Manning proves he’s still got it, even when the temperature drops