OPINION

By Clifton Brown

updated 12:02 p.m. ET Aug. 19, 2008

The Chicago Bears named a starting quarterback Monday. So what? They still need a starting quarterback.

Kyle Orton did not win the job because he played well during camp and preseason. He won the job because he played less poorly than Rex Grossman.

That has to concern the Bears' coaches and players, as their Week 1 opener against the Colts draws nearer. It looks like another precarious season for the Bears, in which they rely on defense and special teams to win. That only works if your defense is dominant. And with middle linebacker Brian Urlacher now 30 years old, it is unrealistic to expect the Bears to play as well defensively as they did two seasons ago, when they went to the Super Bowl.

You cannot blame coach Lovie Smith for asking Grossman to take a seat. Too often, his last name described his performance -- gross, man. Over the past three seasons, Smith was more loyal to Grossman than a lot of coaches would have been. That loyalty was not rewarded. In fact, being loyal to a quarterback like Grossman can cost a coach his job.

With 31 touchdown passes and 33 interceptions during his career, Grossman is what he is -- an inconsistent quarterback with a propensity for turnovers. Maybe Orton, at age 25, has an upside that we have not seen. But to this point, Orton's career numbers (12 touchdowns, 15 interceptions) bear too much of a resemblance to Grossman's.

The Bears should have drafted a quarterback no later than the third round this year. Instead, they did not draft a quarterback at all. They entered the draft with many needs, including offensive line and running back, so they drafted tackle Chris Williams in the first round (No. 14) and running back Matt Forte in the second round (No. 44). But quarterback is the most important position, and at least two quarterbacks drafted after Forte have looked promising in preseason -- Chad Henne of the Dolphins and Dennis Dixon of the Steelers.

It is far too early to tell what Henne and Dixon ultimately will become. Considering what the Bears had at quarterback, however, they should have taken a chance on drafting and developing at least one young quarterback, rather than letting Orton or Grossman win the job by default.

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Maybe the Bears have a Plan B, like trading for Chris Simms, whom the Buccaneers have put on the block. Simms could make a difference for the Bears, because the NFC North looks wide-open with Brett Favre now with the Jets. Almost every team in the division has questions at quarterback. In Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers is under the microscope, taking over for Favre. In Minnesota, Tarvaris Jackson is trying to prove he will not be the weak link that keeps the Vikings from making the playoffs. In Detroit, Jon Kitna is a decent quarterback, but the Lions are the Lions, which makes it difficult to make them the division favorite.

Smith did the right thing naming Orton the starter Monday, because there was no reason to drag out his competition with Grossman any further. Now, the Bears know who their starter is. But that does not mean their quarterback problems are solved.

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