Let’s cut to the chase with this one — people need to shut up already about Jay Cutler. To put it simply, Cutler is EXACTLY the quarterback and the person that the Chicago Bears knew they were getting back in 2009 when the team traded for him. Fans need to stop treating him like he was the team’s savior. The organization needs to realize that he was a headache for Denver and there was never a doubt he would be a headache for Chicago. The media should also know exactly what to expect from Cutler by now and not much that he says or does should really come as a surprise. So why do we continue to act like Cutler’s actions are so shocking?
He’s arrogant, highly emotional and extremely self-centered. He’s also got a cannon of a throwing arm, great mobility and an incredible toughness about him.
That’s Jay Cutler.
He’s also prone to throwing four interceptions in a game. He’s bound to chew out teammates and coaches whenever he gets upset and then afterwards not seem to give a damn about it. He’s a walking, talking negative sound byte just waiting to happen.
That’s Jay Cutler.
Despite all of that, I’m still not giving up on Jay Cutler, at least not just yet. It’s too early in the season and there’s too many other good players on the Bears to stay so focused on just him and his flaws. But I also agree almost entirely with Boomer when he wrote earlier this week how Cutler is not the quarterback to lead the Bears to a championship. He’s definitely not — at least not the Jay Cutler that we’ve come to know so far.
We need Jay Cutler, 2.0.
I know, I know — you’ve heard this one before, but the truth remains the same. The Chicago Bears will never win a championship, or a prime time game for that matter, as long as Cutler performs at the same level.
So who exactly is Jay Cutler, 2.0 you may be asking? Well, first of all, he’s a great leader. He picks up his teammates when they are down, exhumes professionalism on and off the field and is a diligent student of the game of football. He doesn’t talk back to his teammates or coaches and he lets his play out on the field speak for itself.
That’s Jay Cutler, 2.0.
He throws the ball out of bounds when he’s being heavily pressured. He audibles to effective plays when he sees a blitz coming. He throws to his check-down receivers when the deep ball isn’t open. And most of all, he DOES NOT throw off his back foot.
That’s Jay Cutler, 2.0.
The next big question is: how in the world is Jay Cutler going to become Jay Cutler 2.0? First things first, he’s going to lay off his teammates and put some of the blame for his mistakes on himself. He’s going to make smarter decisions on the field and not let his emotions get the best of him. He’s going to get back to basics and focus on his fundamentals, or lack thereof.
As Chicago Bears fans we need to face the possibility that Jay Cutler may never, ever become that player. He may never make the necessary changes to make himself a great leader and thus a great quarterback. Jay Cutler 2.0 is in all likelihood a pipe dream.
What we need to do is focus on what Jay Cutler should be and not what he has been. We need to expect more from this guy. We need to expect him to be an elite quarterback and to lead this team to the top of the league.
But we shouldn’t be shocked if and when he doesn’t. Stay tuned for plenty more bumps in the road for Jay Cutler.