LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears' dire situation at quarterback hasn't pointed the club in the direction of future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, but a source familiar with the quarterback said Favre would listen if the Bears made a pitch.

The Bears haven't contacted the 42-year-old Favre, who has spent a good portion of his recent days hunting, and it's highly doubtful the team is interested. Even if the sides eventually touch base, it's unclear whether the Bears could lure Favre out of retirement. The source said Favre would listen, but his answer could be that he'll stay retired. The source also said Favre has been working out and staying in shape.

A call to Bears general manager Jerry Angelo was not immediately returned, but coach Lovie Smith dismissed the idea on Monday of adding a new quarterback.

"That's our group," Smith said of the three quarterbacks on the Bears' roster. "We're going to make improvements with our group. We're not looking on the outside. We won't have a quarterback tryout or anything like that."

The Bears remain hopeful Jay Cutler will return before the end of the regular season after undergoing surgery on his fractured right thumb, but Cutler said Thursday that he'll be smart about his return and may miss the rest of the season.

Speculation regarding a possible quarterback search comes in the aftermath of Chicago's 10-3 loss Sunday to the Kansas City Chiefs. In addition to completing less than 50 percent of his passes for a passer rating of 23.8, current Bears starter Caleb Hanie threw three interceptions and has thrown six picks in his last two outings -- both losses -- coming off the club's five-game winning streak with Cutler behind center.