Chicago Bears: 6 Reasons They Grab A QB in 2017

Most of what happens to Jay Cutler regarding his future as the Chicago Bears starting quarterback rests on the final 15 games of the 2016 regular season.

While not entirely at fault, his start wasn’t encouraging as he managed 216 yards with a touchdown and interception in Houston. One hopes this doesn’t set a trend for the rest of the year because there are many reasons to think the Bears might be looking at a potential replacement in 2017. Here they are in no particular order.

Holdout

One thing that GM Ryan Pace seems to have made his mission from the start is overturning as much of the roster as possible in the shortest amount of time. Players who were not drafted, signed, or traded for by him have been systematically removed in one form or another. That might seem harsh but there is an inherent logic to it. Pace wants to build a roster of his own creation. His team. Only players who can meet his criteria are allowed to stay.

That’s why Kyle Long was quickly handed a contract extension. Meanwhile Alshon Jeffery is floating out there on the franchise tag because Pace and the coaches aren’t sure they can trust him to stay healthy for a full season. Cutler is now the oldest member of the roster and the last holdout of the Jerry Angelo era. Given a lack of alternatives Pace has remained patient with him. Don’t be fooled though. The past two years reports were strong that the Bears had eyes for rookies like Marcus Mariota and Carson Wentz.

He likes Cutler, but not enough to think he’s irreplaceable.