"Jay Cutler will undergo surgery Wednesday morning to repair a Bennett's fracture of his right thumb, a league source confirmed.

The Bears quarterback is scheduled to have the procedure at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo. The process of inserting a pin to stabilize the thumb back into its socket is expected to last an hour.

Cutler and the Bears remain optimistic about a speedy recovery and return before the end of the regular season. Realistically, he is expected to be sidelined six-to-eight weeks, according to multiple sources.

The decision to have the surgery out of state likely is related to Cutler's belief that the surgeon performing the operation will be able to get him back on the field sooner than initially anticipated."