Olin Kreutz Quits Saints Citing No Passion

Clipped from: www.nola.com (share this clip)

I wonder if any of the meatballs who called Jay Cutler a “quitter” after the NFC Championship game will pick up their pitchforks and go after former Bears hero Olin Kreutz, who left the New Orleans Saints earlier today.  He didn’t retire; he quit.

I should probably be writing about the Bears and Bucs in London, but this just keeps gnawing at me.  This is such an un-Olin thing to do.  He’s not a quitter.  Or is he?

"New Orleans Saints center Olin Kreutz has decided to leave the team, according to agent Mark Bartelstein, because he felt like he was not able to bring the same passion to work every day that he had throughout his 14-year career.“He decided, ‘If I can’t bring that same passion every day to work, I’m not gonna just sit here and collect a paycheck,'” Bartelstein said. “That’s the way he is. Olin’s a little different than most guys. People say all the time that it’s not about the money. That’s really how it is with him. It never has been.”"

First of all, let me say that I’m a big Kreutz fan.  He was a stud for the Bears for many years and his leadership was invaluable.  When the Bears decided to let him walk over essentially $500k, a lot of fans myself included, were up in arms.  As it turned out, the Bears’ offer was way above market value for the aging center.  He signed with the Saints for about half of what the Bears had offered.

He wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire with the Saints, ranking 31st center in the league according to Pro Football Focus.  I heard some rumblings that Kreutz might get demoted.  Maybe he couldn’t deal with that?

Do you think he would have quit if he had re-signed with the Bears?  Looking back on it now, any regrets that the Bears didn’t bring him back?  I’d love to hear your comments.