Chicago Bears are “actively” shopping Jay Cutler

The ball is officially rolling to ship Jay Cutler out of Chicago. Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington recently reported via Twitter that the Chicago Bears are “actively” pursuing a trade partner for the embattled quarterback.

The Chicago Bears could be moving on from their longtime quarterback sooner rather than later. Reports surfaced Tuesday afternoon that the Chicago Bears are “actively” searching for a trade partner for Jay Cutler.

The news shows that Cutler’s time in Chicago is officially coming to a close. The 33-year-old quarterback has fought through many injuries and difficult seasons throughout his tenure in Chicago. Even if the Bears can’t find a trade partner, it’s hard to imagine Cutler would willingly suit up again after knowing the front office tried to trade him. While Cutler holds many of Chicago’s passing records, it seems the relationship is over.

No details show what kind of compensation the Bears want for Cutler. His contract carries a $16 million cap hit to whichever team chooses to trade for him. While the contract is fair for any team that chooses to acquire his services, it still may be difficult to unload Cutler.

The problem with Cutler’s contract lies in the fact that he has no guaranteed money remaining. If he’s traded to a team he doesn’t like, he can retire and ride off into the sunset. Potential suitors will be well aware of this, and could just avoid the situation altogether.

However, the Bears wouldn’t suffer much if they can’t find a trade partner. Cutting Jay Cutler would only result in a $2 million dead cap loss. This means the Bears would still gain $14 million in cap space if they cut Jay Cutler.

In regards to which teams Cutler could end up on, Bill Zimmerman did a great piece on potential suitors. Click here to read it!