10 Times We Thought Jay Cutler Would Be Great
Jay Cutler is not having a great season with the Chicago Bears. He’s suffered through injuries, subpar play, and it seems unlikely that Chicago will want him back in 2017.
Head coach John Fox said as much when he recently mentioned that “he’s done” with Cutler. We can take this to mean that the Bears will part ways with the 33-year-old since his guaranteed money is up after 2016.
He’ll still get a chance to audition for other teams this season because his only competition in Chicago, Brian Hoyer, broke his arm.
However, we still can’t help but reminisce on all the times that it seemed like Cutler was destined for stardom. Below you can see 10 different times when the 11-year pro looked like he could join the greats one day.
1. Pro Bowl Season in Denver
In his third NFL season, Cutler threw for 4,526 yards and 25 touchdowns while completing 62% of his passes. He also made his first Pro Bowl and looked like he could be a regular in the Hawaii-based game.
But Cutler’s future in Denver fell apart when coach Mike Shanahan was fired and replaced by Josh McDaniels. After a trade discussion fiasco involving McDaniels and Cutler, the latter demanded a trade. Since being traded to Chicago, Cutler has failed to throw for more than 3,666 yards in a season.
2. Leads Bears to 2010 NFC Championship
Just two years after being traded to Chicago, Cutler led the team to an 11-5 record and the NFC North title. After a win over the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, the Bears faced Green Bay in the NFC Championship game.
Cutler only completed 6-of-14 passes for 80 yards and an interception before being knocked out of the contest with an MCL sprain. Chicago would go on to lose 21-14.
3. Second QB to Score 2 Rushing & Passing TDs in a Playoff Game
In the 2010 divisional game against Seattle (see above), Cutler had an outstanding performance with 274 passing yards, 43 rushing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and 2 rushing touchdowns. He was instrumental in the Bears’ 35-24 win over Seattle.
Cutler also set history, becoming just the second quarterback besides Otto Graham (1954, 1955) to score two rushing and passing TD’s in the same game.
4. Brandon Marshal Joins Cutler in 2012
The Bears traded for Cutler’s former favorite Broncos target, Brandon Marshall, in the 2012 offseason. This seemed like a move that could help Cutler regain the 2008 numbers he enjoyed in Denver.
The first two seasons were big successes, as Marshall gained 1,508 receiving yards and 11 TDs in 2012, and 1,295 yards and 12 TDs in 2013. But the relationship fell apart in 2014, as Marshall tallied 721 receiving yards and was traded the following offseason.
5. Cutler Revives Career Under OC Adam Gase
While Cutler continued producing above-average seasons for Chicago, his turnovers became a big issue. This was partially solved in 2015, though, when new offensive coordinator Adam Gase worked with Cutler.
The result was Cutler throwing for 21 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions in 15 games. But Gase would quickly leave for the head coaching job in Miami the next season.
6. Signed $127 Million Contract
In 2014, Jay Cutler signed a huge extension with the Bears worth $126.7 million over seven seasons. This deal treated Cutler like a franchise quarterback who could finish his career in the Windy City.
He’s collected $52 million of the contrast so far. But as mentioned in the introduction, the money isn’t guaranteed past 2016. This gives Chicago the ability to drop Cutler before next season without being on the hook.
7. Big Numbers at Vanderbilt
Following a strong career at Heritage Hills High School in Santa Claus, Indiana, Cutler went to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Vanderbilt is an academic school that usually struggles to win more than a couple games a year. The team wasn’t outstanding under Cutler’s leadership either, going 11-35 in his four years as a starter.
Nevertheless, the Commodores were far more competitive with an elite talent like Cutler. As a senior, he led the team to a 5-6 record, including wins over Arkansas, Wake Forrest, Richmond, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. He also set career records at the school for total offense (9,953 yards), passing yards (8,697), touchdown passes (59), and total touchdowns (76).
8. Final College Pass Was a Game Winner
Facing a far more-talented Tennessee team in his final game, Cutler engineered a game-winning touchdown drive to win 28-24. The 2005 victory was Vanderbilt’s first win over the Volunteers since 1982.
Cutler finished the game with 315 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, he passed for a school-record 3,288 yards and earned first-team SEC honors.
9. Great Combine Numbers
After putting up outstanding stats in college, Cutler backed up his numbers with a strong NFL Combine performance. The 6’3″, 225-pound quarterback bench pressed 225 pounds for 23 reps, ran the forty-yard dash in 4.77 seconds, and amazed coaches with his arm strength.
This performance put him in a three-way conversation over whether he, USC’s Matt Leinart, or Texas’ Vince Young would be the first QB selected.
10. 11th Overall Pick
Cutler’s strong pedigree resulted in him being selected 11th overall by the Denver Broncos. Although Young (3rd overall) and Leinart (10th overall) were picked ahead of him, Cutler was still expected to be a very good player for years to come.
It’s debatable on how well he’s lived up to his lofty draft position. But if there’s any solace for Cutler, it’s that he has long outlasted Leinart and Young, both of whom flamed out of the league early on.