Josh McCown has said that Jay Cutler's return to fitness is a "good thing" for the Chicago Bears.

The quarterback is expected to start against the Detroit Lions this weekend, three weeks after injuring his groin muscle.

McCown, who has been filling in during Cutler's absence, told reporters: "It's a good thing. There are a lot of banged-up teams right now, and you want to get people back. You need people healthy, and so it's a good thing that Jay is back and healthy and ready to go.

"As a competitor, I enjoy playing. As a member of our team, I understand my role. Jay is the starter and I'm the backup. Jay got hurt, and I served my team by playing and doing what I could to help us win a ballgame and then play effective football when I was in there.

"When he's healthy, he comes back. He's the starter, and that's how it goes. That's how we operate. There's no part of me that has any of those feelings."

McCown has started just one game during Cutler's time on the sidelines, leading the Bears to a 27-20 win over the Green Bay Packers.