According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Chicago Bears are now more likely to keep Jay Cutler in place as the team’s quarterback after overhauling their coaching staff and bringing in HC John Fox and OC Adam Gase.
“It would be tough for me to imagine a better hire than Adam Gase,” Rapoport tells CSN Chicago. “Not just because John Fox has worked with him for the last couple of years and because he knows him so well, but this is a guy who fixes quarterbacks and makes them viable however they are. It’s not always pretty. Sometimes it’s tough love. Adam Gase is incredibly intense and incredibly smart when it comes to X’s and O’s.”
Chicago also added Dowell Loggains as their quarterbacks coach, who happens to have a relationship with Cutler.
Rapoport believes this is a good of a situation as Cutler could have hoped for this offseason.
“For Dowell Loggains, he’s actually pretty close with Jay Cutler,” Rapoport said. “They’ve known each other for some years. They’ve spoken on again and off again throughout some seasons so the situation really does seem as positive as it could be for Jay Cutler. From what I gather, there’s a much better chance of them keeping Cutler now than trading him just because they have some really strong guys to work with him.”
The idea of trading Cutler surfaced shortly after the Bears’ season came to an end, but that’s not say it was a likely scenario.
Previous reports had said that the Bears would probably have to include a decent draft pick in order to move Cutler’s contract, as he still has another $25.5 million worth of guarantees coming his way.
As of now, Chicago has paid Cutler $22.5 million of the $38 million in guarantees included in his agreement. Releasing Cutler outright would force the Bears to pay him the remaining $15.5 million, but with a new coaching staff in place, there is obviously some optimism that they can wait at least one more year before deciding to part ways with their quarterback.
It’s worth mentioning that another $10 million of Cutler’s deal will become guaranteed just before March.
Cutler, 31, is entering the second year of his seven-year, $126.7 million contract that included $54 million guaranteed.
In 2014, he completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards to go along with 28 touchdowns and 18 interceptions over the course of 15 games. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 32 quarterback out of 39 qualifying players.
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After 9 years in the NFL, cutler has proven he is only a C+ QB. Anyone who expects him to get better is dreaming. If the Bears keep cutler, they are throwing away another $10 million. I would trade him, a 1st round draft choice as well as pick up part of his compensation for another team’s 1st round draft choice just to be rid of that mediocre player. I would rather see Foles get his chance. Reports say he may not have a strong arm, but he is above average in accuracy. He couldn’t do much worse than the 5-11 Bears did last year.
I agree with you but the problem is if you take Manning, Rodgers, Brees, Wilson out of the equation, the average QB in this league is probably a C- or D+ right now. Those guys don’t grow on trees. Ask the vikings, raiders, buccaneers, bills, jets, etc how drafting a QB is working out for them.
I really don’t care what they do..I’m sure a team will trade a pick for Cutler IF the Bears pay most of that ludicrous contract..NOTHING is impossible..If it’s about money than more than a few teams would trade a mid round pick IF the majority of his contract is paid off.The RIGHT thing to do is to rid the team of this LOSER..There is NOTHING he can do that warrants the Bears to keep him..I’m ready for the Bears to cut ties with the past..Cutler, Marshall, Forte, Jennings, whomever can get them picks or cut salary so we can go after better, younger, players. Besides, I want to see David Fales play..He’s a very good QB and I have NO DOUBTS, that he’ll be far better than Cutler in a year..then, I’d draft Jake Waters and bring in as many UFA’s as possible..guys like Blake Bell, Brandon Bridge, great athletes that can play multiple roles. Bell was recruited as a 4 star QB but was then converted to TE..I still think he could be a good QB..Bridge is a big 6-4 225, fast, big arm, great athlete..Devin Gardner, a QB at Michigan, converted to WR, Nick Marshall QB at Auburn, converted to DB..these are the types of players the Bears NEED to bring in..Jake Waters has more NFL qualities than either WInston or Mariota..He has a quick release, gets rid of the ball on time, is good in the pocket, is very accurate, very athletic, can throw well on the move, makes good decisions, very mature, very tough, and plays like a leader..I hope Ryan Pace is eyeing him for the draft.
When has it ever made sense to release or trade Cutler? Never is the only correct answer. Those who thought we could get a high pick, or even a mid round pick for him are out of their minds. Not with that contract. If other teams would ask for a draft pick just to “take him off our hands” that’s even loonier. If some think the trade we made for him was a bad one then trading him away and having to give up a mid round or higher pick would be even worse.
Frankly I’m not even sure I buy into this story simply because of who the source is. If Rappaport has nothing factual to report he’s not above just making something up just to stir up interest. In the 50 years I’ve been following NFL football I can’t recall even one instance where a team gave up a pick or picks just to unload a player. It’s ridiculous to think any team would do that.
It’s all about trust. When that got broken, that’s when the wheels came off for the team, NOT just Cutler. The handling of the Kromer situation is what doomed Trestman and the Bears. He should have been fired immediately and was not, so the test had no trust in the coaching staff.
So now the Bears have a QB coach who Cutler likes and an OC who won’t take crap. If Cutler cannot meet expectation under these circumstances, then there is literally no hope for him. This is his last chance.
The wheels fell off far before that. That was in the last quarter of the season.
And it was a total team fall. Cutler isn’t going out when they’ve already axed the responsible coaches.
Why because he gives a damn this year??? All of a sudden we have a new coach and he’ll have a career year!!?? Ne Sucks
Only if you ignore the rest of the team’s part in the matter and don’t look at his stats. He’ll be fine.
that is what they said when Trestman came in exactly
Cutler will have a career year
Cutler is not a Chicago Bear!! Get rid of him!! Please
Last I checked, he’s still a Bear. Getting the whole team to move forward will net better results. Especially when when Cutler continues his well-established TD trend and isn’t suffering from a defense that allows opponents to break every negative record on the books, unlike Cutler.
“Especially when when Cutler continues his well-established TD trend”?
You do know that passing the ball to the other team and having them
score does not count Bears TD right?
You do know he set a Bears record for touchdowns and that honest analysis revealed that receivers tipped balls and ran incorrect routes for more of those passes than the league average, yes? So again, anyone incapable of seeing the total team failure here and viewing against Cutler either didn’t actually care and just wants to be a troll or is actively dismissing the facts that contradict their whining.