Talking about what-ifs at the quarterback position is something that can take hours with the Chicago Bears. One of the most curious conversations that don’t come up too often is Erik Kramer. Most remember him as a decent but uneven quarterback in the 1990s. Then one year in 1995, he put together an All-Pro-caliber season. He finished with 3,838 yards passing with 29 touchdowns. Both single-season Bears records that still stand today.
Suddenly there was hope. Had Chicago finally found their guy? Kramer was 31-years old. He looked great in that offense and had weapons around him. There were reasons for optimism going into 1996. Then he got hurt before the season started. That set the tone for the year in which Kramer started just four games, throwing three touchdowns and six interceptions. That setback set the tone for the rest of his time in Chicago. He never again recaptured the momentum he built in ’95.
So what happened?
His former offensive coordinator Ron Turner thinks he knows. He explained his belief to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.
“I think he made a mistake in the offseason after the 1995 year,” Turner said. “The year before that, after the 1994 season, he stayed in Chicago and worked out a lot at Halas Hall and was in the office watching film when he could be. Then he has the successful year in ’95, and the next offseason they went back to California where he told me he planned to train when he wasn’t back in Chicago for OTAs and stuff like that.
“I don’t think that helped him. I told him, ‘Erik, I think you are making a major mistake. You had all that success last season when you spent the offseason here and working out with our guys here.’ But he made that decision, and sure enough he got hurt. Now, I don’t know if he got hurt because he made the decision to train in California, but he suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason and just never got back in sync that year.”
Erik Kramer probably didn’t feel a need to hang around
So what might’ve compelled Kramer to make that decision? The easiest answer is a lack of angst. It’s important to remember the situation. After 1994, his job was very much in doubt. Steve Walsh had replaced him during the season and led the Bears to the playoffs. So Kramer entered that 1995 offseason fighting for his life. So of course he was going to hang around the team facility and put in all the extra work. Showing coaches and teammates he was 100% committed.
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What changed? Walsh was gone. In April of 1996, he left in free agency to sign with the St. Louis Rams. Without that cloud hanging over him, Kramer undoubtedly felt more secure. By the sound of things, the sense of urgency was gone. His only competition that offseason was 38-year old journeyman Dave Krieg and nobodies Shane Matthews and Steve Stenstrom. The job was his and he knew it.
Sadly that may have proved his undoing.
