Bears stand behind Cutler

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Lovie Smith isn't going anywhere, and with a Super Bowl appearance and the 2011 NFC championship game on his resume it makes perfect sense.

The Chicago Bears coached signed a two-year extension that will keep him under contract with the Bears through the 2013 season.

But what about quarterback Jay Cutler? Questions rang out in the immediate after Cutler suffered a knee injury in the championship game against the Packers and missed the second half. Cutler sprained an MCL in a knee, the team later revealed.

The Bears have no questions on Cutler or his toughness. Fans might, the Bears don't.

"There's no question about Jay's toughness or anything like that," Smtih said at the NFL combine on Friday. "For guys to even challenge that or question that don't know what they're talking about, don't know him. He's as tough as any quarterback in the league."

Backup Caleb Hanie pulled the Bears within a touchdown of Green Bay before a fourth-quarter interception ended it. No, Hanie won't have the inside track based on that performance.

It's all Cutler. "I wouldn't ask for any quarterback except for Jay Cutler,” Smith said.

Smith said the team was “long past” getting over their NFC Championship Game loss to the Packers.

“We were beaten by the better team that day," Smith said. "They beat everyone. There's only one team in the end that really feels good about what they've done. We know that we're close. We played the Super Bowl champions as well as anyone during the year.”

In light of the new deal, Smith was asked if next season is a must-win situation for him.

“Not really,” he said. “Just to subtly answer your question, the goal has been to do the best possible job that I could, and I could live with the results. With three years on my contract, I feel pretty good about that.”