Caleb Hanie

Caleb Williams, the Bears' shiny new starter, towers over Hanie's brief 2011 cameo—1,079 yards, 3 TDs, a 6.19 rating in five starts that included a playoff meltdown against the Packers. Hanie was the emergency phone booth hero after Cutler's injury; Williams is the real deal with arm talent and poise Hanie could only dream of in that NFC title stretch.

Nope, Caleb Hanie's not in Canton—his resume's too thin for the Hall's golden jacket club. A grand total of 1,079 career yards and 3 TDs as Jay Cutler's backup won't cut it among the legends; he's more trivia answer than bust-worthy.

In 2026, Hanie's thriving as a financial advisor at RBC Wealth Management in Chicago's southwest burbs, guiding NFL draft hopefuls and pros through their money mazes—leveraging that "been there" cred from his Bears days. He still keynotes on grit and peak performance, watches games to scout clients, and cherishes dad life with wife Andrea and their three kids.

Hanie's gunslinger arm might carve a bigger niche today with pass-happy rules, RPOs, and no-touch protections—think his 2011 bombs translating to gadget plays behind Fields or Williams. But that 6.19 rating and shaky decisions? Modern defenses would feast; he'd be a camp arm or practice squad lurker, not a starter.

Hanie's dismal 6.19 rating across five Bears starts gets lapped by McMahon's gritty 45.04 in the '80s Super Bowl run—McMahon was the punk-rock punk who torched defenses with Lovie's dad, while Hanie's emergency stint felt like a pop Warner audition. Both backups turned starters, but McMahon's flair won rings.