LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Rex Grossman broke his silence Monday, speaking publicly for the first time about losing out to Kyle Orton in the competition to become the Bears’ starting quarterback.

While Grossman was surprised and disappointed with the decision, the 2003 first-round draft pick from Florida is determined to be the best backup quarterback in the NFL.

Rex Grossman has completed 14 of 27 passes for 124 yards with 1 TD, 1 interception and a 61.3 passer rating in three preseason games.

“My mindset hasn’t changed, just my role from everyone else’s standpoint has changed, and that’s taken a little bit of time to get over,” Grossman said.

“I’ll never fully get over it and I don’t think anyone would expect me to. My motivation is to be a great player in this league and a starter again, but for right now I’ve got to be the best quarterback ready at a moment’s notice. That’s my goal and that’s my job.”

Grossman has led the Bears to victories in the only two relief appearances of his career. He directed the offense to 10 points after taking over for Orton at halftime in a 16-3 win over the Falcons Dec. 18, 2005 at Soldier Field, and tossed a game-winning 59-yard TD pass to Bernard Berrian last Nov. 11 in Oakland after replacing an injured Brian Griese.

“It’s not easy, but that’s my job now and I’m going to be as good as anyone in the league at it,” Grossman said. “I’m going to be ready at a moment’s notice and I’m going to stay into every game and every situation because I know that next opportunity could be my opportunity to get out there and show what I can do and have the season that I was hoping to have.”

With the limited practice reps that come with being the No. 2 quarterback, Grossman intends to stay sharp by studying film, doing extra work on the field and remaining motivated.

“It’s something that I have to deal with right now, but I’m going to make sure that I do whatever I need to do to make sure I develop whatever skill I need to develop to make sure I’m a great player in this league,” he said. “My personal goals haven’t changed. My role in the immediate future has changed, but my outlook hasn’t changed at all.”

Coach Lovie Smith informed Grossman that Orton had won the quarterback competition exactly a week ago, three days before the Bears faced the 49ers in their third preseason game.

“I was a little surprised,” Grossman said. “But I’ve had some time to digest it.”

Smith conceded that the situation has been a difficult one for Grossman.

“Yes, I know it is,” Smith said. “Rex Grossman is a competitor and it would be that way on anyone. Everyone wants to start, but there’s a role for everyone on the football team. Sometimes you don’t like it, but as a team player you have to go with it, and that’s what Rex is doing.”

Asked whether he felt Grossman was mentally prepared to come in off the bench and contribute, Smith said: “I definitely think so. He talked to [the media] today, so that’s saying a lot.

“You do need a little time when a major decision like that is made, but Rex is a team player. He’s a professional and he has a job. He’s a big part of what we would like to do. We have a lot of players in the role that Rex is in right now and we’ll need them over the course of the year.”

Even after losing the competition to Orton, Grossman insisted that he doesn’t regret signing a one-year contract with the Bears in February and passing up a chance to become an unrestricted free agent.

“I felt like this was a great option for me to come back and start,” he said. “It didn’t happen, but the season’s just around the corner. I’m not anticipating anything happening, but I’ve got to be ready because that moment could be the biggest moment of my career and I’ve got to take off and be ready to go.”

With a 19-11 record as a starter, Grossman has won more games than any other Bears quarterback since 1992. Yet he has been routinely booed at Soldier Field since the middle of the 2006 season. The catcalls came again in last Thursday night’s preseason loss to the 49ers, even after he threw the ball away to avoid a sack. 

“I haven’t worried about that because I don’t control that,” Grossman said. “I feel like I’ve done a lot for this team over the last five years. I’ve had some unfortunate things happen to me and some bad games. But for the most part, I feel like I’ve been a pretty good contributor to this organization in winning a lot of games.

“I don’t know how many games I’ve won, but we’ve won a lot of games when I’ve played. I’m proud of a lot of things I’ve done and I’m not paying attention to anyone or anything that will try to tell me otherwise.”