If Jay Cutler Is Gone, Who Would Really Want Him?

The Chicago Bears have reached the point of no return. Quarterback Jay Cutler has a bad reputation for being lackadaisical, not passionate enough, and frankly, not good enough.

Cutler is one of the most gifted quarterbacks in the league, but he doesn’t appear to care very much, even though he makes over $1 million per game, and he’s also not a really good football player or leader of a team.

When the Denver Broncos traded Cutler back in 2009, it looked like a colossal mistake. Cutler was fresh off a Pro Bowl appearance and was on the rise in a Denver offense that appeared poised to take a huge leap with offensive guru Josh McDaniels as the team’s new head coach. McDaniels didn’t get good enough vibes from Cutler, and the rift was born. Cutler demanded a trade out of Denver, and he got it.

The Bears acquired Cutler before the 2009 NFL Draft and coming up on six years later, it’s looking like a failed experiment. The comparisons early in his career to Jeff George have come somewhat to light, as Cutler just approaches the game in such a way that you find it hard to believe he has a true passion for the game.

As critical as we can be of Cutler, the only thing that really matters is what he brings on the field, and he stinks. He has 24 turnovers this season and the Bears are currently slated to pick 9th in the draft. Heads will roll in Chicago, but will Cutler’s be one of them? The Bears fired Lovie Smith and hired Marc Trestman to appease the desire for an offensive minded coach in the Windy City.

Fail.

Trestman is an offensive guru, but you can’t really do much when your quarterback who signed a mega contract doesn’t show up to play on gamedays. Cutler’s horrid season and the Bears’ lack of wins could cost Trestman his job, and if the front office isn’t willing to try and move Cutler, Phil Emery could lose his job as well.

The big question is, will Cutler lose his job?

With over $30 million guaranteed over the next two seasons, the Bears are going to have a whale of a time getting even a decent deal for their starting quarterback on the trade market, and they’re going to have to find some team that is willing to absorb his incredible contract.

That would lead one to believe that whoever is coaching the Bears in 2015 will also be coaching Jay Cutler, who doesn’t seem to have the support of current coaches, teammates, or fans. Perhaps that’s the reason for his disdain, but whatever the case, Cutler is paid to play football, and that appears the way he approaches the game.

Cutler leading the Bears to the NFC Championship game seems like an eternity ago, and for the Bears, it could be time to end the era. Or has it only just begun?

At this point, it would be almost a shock if Cutler was with the Bears in 2015, but it would also be a surprise to see some team put a big enough vote of confidence in him to make a play. It’ll be one of the more intriguing stories to follow this offseason.