Chicago Bears: Buying or Selling Jay Cutler Long-Term

How much of a leash does Jay Cutler have with the Chicago Bears going into 2016? The team has said they wish to build around him, but another bad year could alter that.

Much has been made of the fact that GM Ryan Pace has still yet to draft a quarterback. Any quarterback in any of the seven rounds across two years. Perhaps this is indicative of Pace’s opinion of the past two draft classes, or maybe it’s a sign he really does believe in Cutler despite his reputation among the national media.

At age 33 one could argue he’s in no danger of succumbing to age. Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Carson Palmer are a few current example of players producing some of their best seasons in their late 30s. So if his health remains relatively stable, Cutler should be able to play at a high level for a few more years at least.

It’s a matter of will he? Eric Single of Sports Illustrated believes 2016 is a make-or-break season for him.

"“If the year-to-year portion of Jay Cutler’s gigantic seven-year deal began this spring instead of next spring, would the Bears have kept him around? After bottoming out during a turbulent 2014 season that led to Chicago overhauling its front office and coaching staff, Cutler quietly stabilized his game under the direction of offensive coordinator Adam Gase, throwing fewer interceptions (11) than he had in any other full season as a pro. But one year of a steady stat line is not enough to counterbalance many years of city-wide ambivalence towards him. If new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains sticks to his word to keep things largely the same as they were under Gase, Cutler will have some rare continuity to pair with the equally rare positive off-season momentum he’s taking into a make-or-break season.”"

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The belief is that by sticking to a ground-oriented offense and boasting a strong defense, the Bears can curb Cutler’s problem with turnovers. If Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White in turn play like they can, then he should be able to excel in the passing game. If despite all this the man still finds a way to lose games he can win with bad performances, then Chicago will have its answer. So what about a breaking down of what he offers?

Pro:

Arm strength
Athletic
Experienced
Tough
Smart
Seems to mesh well with offensive coordinator
Showed improvement in 2015
Often plays best late in games

From a physical standpoint, Cutler checks all the boxes. He can throw the ball a mile, runs faster than people realize and has shown on multiple occasions he can take the hits without losing his ability to perform. Despite constant coordinator changes he’s shown advancement in understanding the game and his position. Everybody who has answered questions about him claim he’s very smart. Last season proved he can not only played under control but play well under control.

Con:

Inconsistent
Reckless
Doesn’t get ball out fast enough
Not prolific
Meaningful games often bring out worst in him

That being said, one season of efficient play is not enough to erase the entire body of work. Cutler has a long history of being both inconsistent and reckless with the football, leading to Jekyll and Hyde performances from week to week. His bad tendency to hold the ball too long has led to sacks and hits which in turn lead to injuries. He has topped 4,000 yards passing just once (never in Chicago) and hasn’t thrown for 30 touchdowns ever. To top it off, he seems to save some of his worst performances for games against good teams that mean a lot.

How much of this is him and how much was mismanagement by the two previous regimes is the big question. One that the Chicago Bears are aiming to have answered, once and for all by the end of this season. They’ve stayed patient this long, but every team has a breaking point. He best not relax just yet.