Jimmy Clausen

#2 · Chicago Bears

Retired 4 Years In The NFL

🏆 Third-team All-American (2009)

Jimmy's

HAIR

7.1

HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Jimmy Clausen or the Bears?

Jimmy Clausen Legacy

HEYTC AI

Jimmy Clausen, the golden boy from Oaks Christian who lit up Notre Dame as a prep phenom, carried the weight of South Bend expectations like few freshmen before him. With that rocket arm and unflinching swagger, he snapped the Irish's record nine-game bowl skid in Hawaii, torching defenses for 406 yards and five TDs as co-MVP. Drafted by Carolina in '10 amid Tim Tebow mania, the NFL proved brutally unforgiving—a journeyman backup bouncing from Panthers to Bears to Ravens, flashing promise but never seizing the throne. Still, Clausen's tale whispers the raw peril of prodigy-to-pro pipeline, a reminder that even blue-chip QBs chase forever shadows.

Jimmy Clausen Rating Breakdown

Season

Non-Factor

Fantasy

Subpar

Playoffs

Non-Factor

Overall

Cooked

2 years with the Bears

Jimmy Clausen Career Stats via Wikipedia

2,520 Pass Yards

7 Touchdowns

14 INTs

54.0% Comp %

7.1 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Jimmy Clausen

How does Caleb Williams compare to Jimmy Clausen?

Caleb Williams, the Bears' shiny new No. 1 pick and current starter, towers over Jimmy Clausen's brief Chicago cameo—think 407 yards, 2 TDs, and a 65.9 rating in six games versus Caleb's Heisman flash and arm talent. Clausen's 2014 fill-in stint was gritty but forgettable, like a backup audition that never got the callback, while Caleb's got the tools to rewrite Bears QB history.

Is Jimmy Clausen in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Jimmy Clausen isn't in the Pro Football Hall of Fame—no plaque in Canton for the ex-Notre Dame star who topped out at 2,520 yards, 7 TDs over six NFL seasons. His Panthers flameout and Bears backup days didn't scream immortality; he's more trivia answer than bust, a reminder that even can't-miss prospects sometimes just miss.

What is Jimmy Clausen doing now in 2026?

As of early 2026, Jimmy Clausen's off the grid—no headlines in broadcasting, business ventures, or charity circuits. Last NFL action was 2015 with the Ravens, throwing for 555 yards in spot duty. He's that guy who peaked at Notre Dame, now likely coaching youth ball or laying low, the football equivalent of a one-hit wonder chilling in Oak Park.

How would Jimmy Clausen perform in today's NFL?

Jimmy Clausen's quick release and accuracy could've feasted under today's pass-happy rules—no more helmet-to-helmet nightmares like his 2014 concussion vs. Detroit. But those 14 picks to 7 TDs scream turnover machine; in this RPO era with better protection, he'd be a solid backup like Case Keenum, not a starter, thriving in gun offenses but folding under prime-time heat.

How does Jimmy Clausen compare to Jim McMahon?

Jim McMahon lapped Jimmy Clausen as Bears QBs—McMahon's 45.04 career rating crushes Clausen's measly 7.05 in Chicago, where Jimmy mustered 407 yards and zero wins. Punky QB brought Super Bowl swagger and scrambles; Clausen was the pocket statue who got pancaked. Both backups by fate, but McMahon's got the '85 lore—Clausen's just a stat line in the shadows.