There have been several rumors about the upcoming divorce that’s expected to take place between the Bears and Jay Cutler, and his actions Monday didn’t help quiet them.
The 33 year-old veteran has spent eight years with Chicago amassing a less-than-impressive 51-51 record with a 85.2 QB rating. Those numbers are disappointing when you factor in the two first-round picks, and the third, the Bears gave up for him, in addition to former starter Kyle Orton. Since acquiring Cutler in 2009, Chicago has only won the NFC North division once.
After bringing in Adam Gase, through the hiring of John Fox, Cutler had one of his best years as a professional in 2015 posting a 92.3 rating. Expectations were high as Dowell Loggains took over as offensive coordinator after Gase split for Miami, but those high expectations were met with very low results when Cutler posted a 78.1 rating this season, his worst since 2009.
Add that emergence of Brian Hoyer, and Matt Barkley, and Cutler becomes the odd man out. With a salary cap hit of between $16-$21 million for the next four seasons, Jay will likely be traded or cut this off-season.
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Trading Cutler is expected to be difficult with his contract, but the guaranteed money is up and it could help secure him for a team that might not want to get in a bidding war on the open market. Cutting Cutler would give the Bears flexible cap space and allow for more future moves, so it appears to be a win-win for Chicago either way. Most Bears fans would obviously like to get a draft pick in return if possible.
As much as all this makes sense, it’s just speculation as of right now. Cutler’s actions on Monday though, were incredibly telling.
