Absence makes the heart grow fonder as the saying goes. Five years since Jay Cutler logged his last snap as the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears, it seems fans have gained some newfound appreciation for him. This after experiencing the likes of Mike Glennon, Mitch Trubisky, and Nick Foles since he left. While nobody can ever say Cutler was great, he certainly had more high moments.
Speaking on Red Line Radio, it was pointed out to him that suddenly it has become en vogue to like Cutler among Bears fans. They’ve started to appreciate what he accomplished under difficult circumstances during his run from 2009 to 2016. He admitted that angered him to a certain degree. He wished fans could’ve been behind him more when he was actually playing. Even so, he does enjoy the brightening of his legacy.
Well, not everybody seems to buy into this narrative.
When the video was posted on Instagram, one of Cutler’s former teammates was quick to respond. Alex Brown played with the quarterback during his inaugural season with the Bears in 2009. By that point, the defensive end had put together a quality career in Chicago. He was sold the idea that Cutler was the missing piece to the puzzle. Then the QB went out and threw 26 interceptions. It appears Brown isn’t buying the narrative that he’s more popular now than ever.
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Seeing Brown make such a comment isn’t surprising. There were several members on that veteran Bears defense who didn’t like Cutler. Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs being two other examples. They didn’t like his attitude or his carelessness with the football. Say what you will about Kyle Orton. The guy did everything he could to avoid turnovers and was a terrific teammate and leader.
Jay Cutler legacy is and always will be complicated
There is no denying the guy did some great things in Chicago. He set most of the franchise passing records. He was the last one to win a playoff game and he endured a brutal pounding behind some really bad offensive lines. That said, a lot of the problems were his own doing. Poor decision-making with the football. Constantly butting heads with coaches. Not being the best leader at times.
Nobody will ever doubt his toughness or his commitment to winning. It’s just that he didn’t always do himself a lot of favors. If he’d been more open-minded with the coaching and more hands-on as a leader, people might have a better viewpoint of him today.
Even if the results on the field were exactly the same.
Character creates a legacy just as much as performance. The “don’t care” Jay Cutler memes were out there for a reason. That is how he came across. Somebody who was nonchalant about it all. Perception is reality in the NFL. This was one lesson the QB didn’t learn until it was too late. He was far from the worst this franchise has seen at that position and deserves respect. Should he be more lauded though? Not really.