Stephen A. Smith calls Bears QB Jay Cutler "an absolute joke" and "a football abomination," believing that the sooner Chicago cuts ties with him the better. (1:52)

CHICAGO -- Bears general manager Ryan Pace is about to pay the price for not being proactive enough at quarterback.

Fifteen quarterbacks were selected in the 2016 NFL draft, and not a single one went to Chicago, where Jay Cutler, 33, now faces an uncertain future because of a right thumb injury suffered in Week 1 against the Texans.

But to pin it all on Pace is unfair. The Bears’ overall neglect of the position -- the most important in all of professional sports -- has been staggering since Cutler's arrival in 2009.

Chicago has invested a miniscule three picks at quarterback in eight years -- Dan LeFevour (sixth round, 2010), Nate Enderle (fifth round, 2011) and David Fales (sixth round, 2014) -- none of whom made an impact.

The long-term heir apparent to Jay Cutler doesn't appear to be on Chicago's roster. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Instead, Pace picked three times in the 2016 fourth round (Nick Kwiatkoski, Deon Bush and Deiondre Hall) before the Dallas Cowboys selected Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott 135th overall.

Look what happened: Starting quarterback Tony Romo's fractured vertebra opened the door for Prescott, who sure is playing like the Cowboys’ heir apparent at the position.

Monday night’s opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, boldly traded up to select North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz at No. 2, and then peddled Sam Bradford to Minnesota for additional draft choices. As the Bears’ defense can attest, Wentz is the real deal. He will only get better with time if he avoids serious injury.

Meanwhile, another developmental quarterback continues to unfold in New England, where the Patriots are expected to audition not one, but two quarterbacks during four-time MVP Tom Brady’s four-game suspension. Not only did New England and the rest of the league get a good look at former second-rounder Jimmy Garoppolo, but 2016 third-round choice Jacoby Brissett could start Thursday night after Garoppolo, who played well, injured his shoulder versus the Dolphins over the weekend.

And in Chicago … the Bears turn to 30-year-old Brian Hoyer.

Look, Hoyer is a fine backup to have on the roster. Teammates and coaches rave about his leadership and likeability in the locker room. But Hoyer is no longer viewed around the league as a starting-caliber quarterback. That ship sailed when Denver and the New York Jets passed him up in favor of rookies in the offseason.

So while the rest of the league prepares for the future, the Bears are stuck in neutral at quarterback.

This isn't just a short-term problem. There is no guaranteed money left on Cutler's deal. If Cutler is cut or traded after the year, the Bears do take a $2 million cap hit, but they free up $13 million in 2017. In theory, the perfect time to walk away from Cutler is next offseason, but only if the Bears find a suitable replacement.

That person does not currently exist on the roster. At this rate, the Bears won't be able to move on from Cutler even if they want to.

Coach John Fox likes to boast about how the Bears have transitioned from the oldest roster to one of the youngest in the NFL in less than two years.

It’s just too bad that line of thinking didn’t extend to the position that matters most.