It was a full week before Kordell Stewart's return to Colorado, and already his phones were going crazy, which he enthusiastically embraced.
Come on, he said, how could he not appreciate the drive northwest, from Denver to Boulder, where so many precious memories reside? The majestic mountains, the clean, fresh air, etc.
"Well, I guess since all the transplants have arrived, the air is a little more polluted," he said.
But while reality often bites, Stewart said he won't let it, whether in the form of air quality or career status, knock him too far off-kilter. Unless there is an injury to starting quarterback Chris Chandler, Stewart's role for the Chicago Bears in Sunday's game against the Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High likely will be ceremonial -- something Stewart could not have expected eight months ago, when he was a free agent and signed a two-year contract with the team.
"I've always said, and it's the truth, that in life, it's always about trying to get to the right situation, being where you can have your best opportunity to succeed," he said. "And right now, it's not like that for me.
"It's not like that at all, not even close."
There have been few opportunities to link the words "Bears" and "successful" this season, particularly when the team has the football. Chicago (3-7) is last in the NFL in total offense, averaging 256 yards a game. Its 172 points scored is 28th in the league.
Stewart was the Bears' starter in the first five games, in which he completed 75-of-144 passes for 745 yards. He threw four touchdowns, but had seven interceptions and an anemic 56.0 quarterback rating. Even more damaging was that the Bears were 1-4, outscored by an average of 30-16.
In the third game of the season, against the Oakland Raiders -- the Bears' only victory in the five-game span -- Stewart said he hurt the quadriceps muscle in his left leg. He played against New Orleans the next week, but knew the pain was too much to bear.
"I was scrambling on the left side of the field, and I couldn't get away from [defensive tackle] Kenny Smith -- and he had just come off surgery," Stewart said. "So I knew something was wrong."
The Bears started Chandler in the next game, a 24-17 loss at Seattle. The next two weeks, Chicago scored 24 points against Detroit, then 20 vs. San Diego, winning both games.
Although the offense has since returned to its morass, totaling 440 yards and 31 points in losses to Detroit and St. Louis, and Stewart says he's now completely healthy, the Bears are sticking with Chandler.
"We went with Kordell for the first five games, and certainly our record after that wasn't entirely his fault," coach Dick Jauron said. "But clearly the quarterback position is the most visible on your team, and we just felt like we needed to change some things and that was one of the changes we made.
"Since Chris has been in there, he has played pretty well. I'd say the last two weeks he hasn't been as accurate as he normally is. That's hurt us a little bit. I have a lot of faith in both of them, [but] right now Chris is our No. 1."
Stewart, for the most part, has adhered to the company line, trying not to cause distractions, but admits: "It's hard just watching, because I know I'm a much better player than it has appeared. I've proven myself; I'm still here, my body's fresh, I feel good about myself.
"I'm just trying to be very positive about what's taking place and trying to be supportive and as patient as I can because I love this game and I'm not going to let a decision or two deter me from feeling good about myself and what I do."
Should Chandler falter once again, there's a chance Stewart will fall to No. 3 on the depth chart. Even after signing Stewart, the Bears used a first-round draft pick, No. 22 overall, on quarterback Rex Grossman. Team officials have said the former Florida Gator won't play until the team is eliminated from playoff contention -- which could be just a few hours from now.
If the Bears decide to get Grossman some work, it's possible all Stewart would have to show for the 2003 season would be those opening five games. Jauron admits that he "has no way of knowing" whether those games constituted a fair chance for the veteran.
"Of course it wasn't," Stewart said. "There are 16 games in a season. I just know I was brought here to be the starting quarterback of this team.
"But five games are not going to make or break my career, not even a little bit. I promise you, it's just a matter of time for things to happen the way they should, the way they will."
Perhaps Stewart can be so sanguine about his fate because the situation in Chicago is really nothing new to him. As a second-round pick from Colorado in 1995, there were questions about whether he would play quarterback in the NFL.
A great athlete, Stewart spent much his first two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers shuttling between quarterback and wide receiver, even returning kicks. His versatility earned him the now-familiar nickname "Slash."
Finally earning the starting quarterback job in 1997, Stewart shone, completing 54 percent of his passes for 3,020 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also ran for 476 yards and 11 scores, leading the Steelers to the AFC championship game, where they lost to the Broncos. The next season, he threw for 2,560 yards, starting all 16 games, but his touchdown passes dropped to 11, while his interceptions rose from 17 to 18.
That season, in essence, opened up the starting job. Searching for stability and consistency, the Steelers tried any number of players, including Mike Tomzcak and Kent Graham, all the while knowing what they had in Stewart.
It was during that period that Stewart said he realized the difference between being a reactionary and a professional.
"There was one game against Tampa Bay when I got pulled for Tomzcak and he threw two interceptions," Stewart said. "I was yelling at [Steelers coach Bill] Cowher, going, `Is this the reason why we put this guy in here?'
"I meant what I said, but I'll never do it again. I learned from that. I could be the guy who was yelling and cussing and screaming, that immature guy, but you have to let it go. You have to let things play themselves out."
In 2001, Stewart won the job again and had his finest NFL season, completing 60 percent of his passes for 3,109 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Again, acting as a double threat, he ran for 537 yards and five scores, all of them 20 yards or longer. As was the case in 1997, he was named to the Pro Bowl and the Steelers once again advanced to the AFC championship game, this time losing to New England.
However, when Pittsburgh lost its first two games last season, with Tommy Maddox rallying the team to a win in its third game, Stewart was benched once again. Maddox became the NFL comeback player of the year; Stewart was released in February.
Stewart was the Bears' second choice among last year's free-agent quarterbacks, behind Jake Plummer. Had the situation been reversed, it's doubtful the Broncos' new savior would have had much more of an impact in Chicago than Stewart.
With the NFL's 29th-rated offense in 2001, the Bears brought in John Shoop as offensive coordinator before this season. Perhaps hampered by a series of injuries to the offensive line, or, as critics insist, hampered by a lack of imagination, the team has fared even worse this year.
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