The clamoring for Josh McCown can stop. Jay Cutler is the Chicago Bears’ quarterback of the future.
Cutler has signed a seven-year, $128 million contract that will pay him an average of $18 million per year over the first three years, including $54 million guaranteed, Bears general manager Phil Emery announced Thursday, Jan. 2, in a press conference at Halas Hall.
When Cutler went down with a groin injury on Oct. 20 in the second quarter of the Bears game against the Washington Redskins, it was McCown’s time. He stepped in admirably and started five games for the Bears, yet Bears head coach Marc Trestman maintained that if healthy, Cutler would start at quarterback. He stayed true to his word, and Cutler returned on Dec. 15 against the Cleveland Browns. It was back to the bench for McCown. The Bears went 1-2 in Cutler’s final three starts and finished second in the NFC North after losing the division at home to the Green Bay Packers in Week 17. Now, four days after this crushing loss against the Bears’ most hated rival, Cutler is signed for the next seven years.
You can talk about Cutler’s record (39-28) with the Bears, or his putrid record against the Packers (1-8). You can also talk about Cutler’s unproven durability (he has missed 12 starts in the last three years). But, Cutler is the best quarterback in the history of the Chicago Bears franchise. His record may not be the best, he may get hurt more than you would like your quarterback to get hurt, but, of all the available options, whether it be through free agency, trade, or the draft, Jay Cutler gives the Chicago Bears the best chance to win right now.
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Think about it. The Bears brought first-year head coach Marc Trestman in to improve the offense, and he did it. The Bears were in the bottom of the barrel in most offense categories last season under Lovie Smith, and improved drastically this season. In 2012, the Bears were 16th in the NFL in scoring, and averaged 23.4 points per game. This year, under Trestman, the Bears fielded the second-highest scoring offense in the NFL at 27.8 points per game, which trailed only the Denver Broncos.
Much of this improvement can be credited to Emery, who added weapons like tight end Martellus Bennett, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall, to the fold during his first two seasons as general manager. But, most of the credit is due to the guy who does the work on the field and distributes the ball to these receivers, the quarterback. Cutler posted the second-highest completion percentage of his career (63.1 percent) in his first year under Trestman, as well as the highest quarterback rating of his career (89.2).
In signing Cutler to a seven-year deal, the Bears are hoping that Cutler’s best years are still ahead of him. With Marc Trestman at the helm, that is a very real possibility. And if Cutler does not pan out the way Emery expects, the contract is set up perfectly for the Bears.
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All of Cutler’s guaranteed $54 million comes in the first three years of his contract. That means that the Bears are essentially signing Cutler to a three-year, $54 million contract. Coincidentally, Marc Trestman’s contract also expires three years down the road, so if the marriage between Cutler and Trestman absolutely does not work, then the offseason of 2017 would be the perfect time to let them both walk.
In three years, the Bears should be able to tell whether they really do have something special brewing in Chicago. This season was a huge step forward for the Bears offense. As the group increases chemistry over the next few seasons, the numbers should continue to improve.
If there is one thing that held the Bears back this season, it certainly was not the offense. The defense was the Bears’ Achilles heel all season long. The injury-riddled group struggled after the losses of cornerback Charles Tillman and linebackers D.J. Williams and Lance Briggs, to injury. After seeing what Emery did to transform the offensive side of the ball in just a few offseasons, Bears fans should feel confident that defensive improvement is not far down the road.
Emery has made many risky decisions during his first two years as general manager of the Chicago Bears. He traded for Marshall in 2012 and many questioned whether Marshall would be able to get his behavioral issues in order in Chicago. He also drafted Jeffery in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, who many scouts labeled as lazy and out of shape. Now, Marshall and Jeffery are considered by some to be the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL.
Emery did not shy away from making these risky moves and certainly did not shy away from ensuring that Jay Cutler is his quarterback of the future. Many Chicago critics doubt Cutler and say that he throws too many interceptions or that he is not a “winner.” No doubt these were the same ones hoping Trestman would name McCown the starting quarterback over Cutler.
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Cutler has signed his contract. The narrative is over. Jay Cutler will be the quarterback of the Chicago Bears for at least the next three seasons. He is a flawed quarterback, but he is the best option for the Bears.
There is not much of a history of great quarterbacks in Chicago. Most records that were previously held by Sid Luckman have now been broken by Cutler. As sad as that may be, that is the Bears’ reality. He is not great, but he is the best the Bears have ever had. If you are sick of him, as many Chicagoans are, get used to it. Cutler’s time is just getting started.