Trestman Addresses Media in Tense Press Conference

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CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 04: Head coach Marc Trestman during the second quarter in a game against the Dallas Cowboys of the Chicago Bearson December 4, 2014 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. ( Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

To say that the Chicago Bears are a dumpster fire isn’t fair to either trash receptacles or flames, but the metaphor is still about as close as we can get to describing what is going on at Halas Hall over the past few weeks. 

Thursday added a new chapter to that saga, as the big players involved in the team’s quarterback switch spoke to the media.  Jay Cutler and Jimmy Clausen were both supportive of one another during the press conference, and Marc Trestman described his emotions on the decision as he opened the media availability. 

“We need a lift at quarterback,” he said. “ I think we need a spark.  The weight of the world should not be on Jimmy Clausen, but I’m hoping that our team against a very good defense will get some response from our team.” 

Those statements contradicted earlier statements by Trestman that he would stick with Cutler at quarterback so long as he was healthy, and Trestman owned up to the change in direction when asked about it. 

“I did say that at the time, and I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “ I think this is in the best interest of the team today.” 

Trestman also went into detail about the process by which the team arrived at the decision to bench Cutler, who threw three interceptions against the New Orleans Saints on Monday. 

“The normal course of events is that I wanted to make sure the quarterbacks knew my intent,” he said. “ We all know in this day and age it’s difficult to keep those things (private).  We knew it could get out in the course of the day, but I wanted the team to know first.  Ultimately I wanted them to know about it before it got out.” 

Despite Trestman’s assertion that he told the team before the reports started circulating on Wednesday night, both Kyle Long and Jermon Bushrod said that they found out about the benching via social media.  Long conceded that finding out in that fashion “was not ideal,” but expressed confidence in Clausen’s ability. 

Game Photos: Bears vs Saints

“Jimmy has had a lot of success against our number one defense (in practice),” he said. 

Trestman was also asked about the difference in his handling of the Cutler demotion and in Aaron Kromer’s role in an NFL Network report that contained criticism of the quarterback.  Kromer wasn’t disciplined in any public way for his transgressions, and when asked about it Trestman got very defensive.