One of Mike Martz’s prized pupils has followed his biggest advocate out the door in Chicago.
Nathan Enderle, a fifth-round pick out of Idaho, was waived by the team on Thursday. Enderle was on the active roster as a rookie, but didn’t see any playing time even as the Bears cycled through three different starting quarterbacks. The addition of Jason Campbell as a free agent to go with Jay Cutler and Josh McCown left no spot for Enderle on the team.
It doesn’t help Enderle that his biggest booster is no longer with the team. Martz, who left the offensive coordinator position after the 2011 season, was a big fan of Enderle’s size and arm. Other teams might be put off by lack of mobility, although he’s likely to get at least a look at a third-string job elsewhere in the league.
Enderle joins Dan LeFevour as recent Bears draft picks who were gone from the Bears without playing a game. While Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman both had their moments for the Bears, it has been a long time since the Bears have drafted a quarterback who gave them stability at the position for more than the blink of an eye.