Bears’ Kramer Sidelined for Season

Erik Kramer is finished for the season and might have thrown his final pass for the Chicago Bears.

Kramer, who sat out the last three games because of two herniated disks in his neck, was put on injured reserve Monday.

“He will follow the plan of the doctors as far as his rehab work,” Coach Dave Wannstedt said. “Surgery is not in the plans at this point. He’s just going to get healthy and see.”

Dave Krieg, who turns 38 next week, has directed the Bears to a 1-2 record and will remain the starter. The backups are Shane Matthews and Mark Butterfield, two players who never have thrown a pass in the NFL.

“To go out and bring somebody in at this point [is unlikely],” Wannstedt said.

Coming off a career season in which he set team records for passing yards, touchdowns, attempts and completions, Kramer struggled even before he got hurt. He had completed 73 of 150 passes (48.7%) with three touchdowns and six interceptions in leading the Bears to a 1-3 start.

Sub-par statistics and a serious injury aren’t the ideal way for a player to go into an off-season in which he’ll be a free agent.

Asked if Kramer’s career in Chicago is over, Wannstedt said: “I can’t answer that right now. We are hopeful that he has a full recovery and he’s back playing. I can’t answer that right now. We talked this morning, and his only concern is to get back healthy. Once he gets cleared, we’ll discuss what the future plans are.”

Kramer signed a three-year, $8.1-million contract to join the Bears for the 1994 season. He played poorly that year and lost the job to Steve Walsh. But Kramer reclaimed the position in 1995, when he was the only quarterback in the NFL to take every offensive snap for his team.

The Bears, who hobble into their bye week with a 2-5 record, also put reserve cornerback Chris Martin on injured reserve because of a knee injury.