Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears Need to Move on From Jay Cutler

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 2, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) prior to a game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

After a number of average seasons, it’s finally time for the Chicago Bears to move on from Jay Cutler. Here are four possible scenarios.

Jay Cutler‘s relationship with the Chicago Bears would be best summed up by classifying it as “complicated.” Actually, that may be an understatement.

I want to start off by saying I’m a Jay Cutler guy. I’ve always been a Cutler guy as I feel like the stone-faced quaretback often gets a bad wrap. Yes, he makes bad decisions in the form of costly interceptions. However, I never thought he was nearly as bad as people made him out to be. Alas, the time to support Cutler appears to be over.

The strong-armed quarterback suffered a recent injury, which thrust Brian Hoyer into the starting lineup for the Chicago Bears. Although the season is far from over, the Bears should start evaluating quarterback options other than Cutler.

I’m not sure if the Bears would outright cut Cutler, mostly because of the cap hit it would create. By the same token, I’m not sure if the Bears would be able to move Cutler as few teams would likely be willing to absorb that contract.

This is just a guess on my part, but I also don’t think John Fox will be back as the head coach. What that means is a new coach will likely come in, bringing a new philosophy with him. That also means that coach may want to hand-pick their quarterback.

If it is indeed time for a change at quarterback for the Bears, they have to weigh their options. Subsequently, I’m going to do the same.

Sep 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer (2) throws the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at Soldier Field. The Eagles won 29-14. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Stick It Out with Hoyer

This is probably the least appealing option on this list. Do you really think Brian Hoyer, who is a constant model of mediocrity, can lead a team to the playoffs? In fairness, he did help lead Houston to an AFC South title a year ago. But Hoyer was downright awful in the playoff game. The Bears also have another Browns-sendoff in Connor Shaw.

Not great. Yeah, I know Hoyer just had a pretty good game against Detroit. But come on; this is Brian Hoyer we’re talking about. Even broken clocks are right twice a day.

I don’t want to spend too much time on this scenario, mostly because I think it’s to least likely to happen. Can we all just agree that as bad as Cutler may play, he’s far and away a better option than both Hoyer and Shaw? If you think the soon-to-be 31-year-old Hoyer can enjoy a late-career renaissance, than you’re far more optimistic than I am.

I don’t think they should bring Hoyer back, unless they make it clear he’s going to be the backup. As we know, this is a quarterback driven league. So opting to stick with the poor options they have now won’t bode well.

Sep 1, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron (5) throws a pass in the first half against the Indianapolis Colts in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Make a Trade

This one is tricky as backup quarterbacks are a quiet luxury few teams have. In 2015, we saw a lot of teams operate with backup quarterbacks under center. A.J. McCarron, Brock Osweiler and Blaine Gabbert, among others, all stepped in and did well.

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Obviously, Osweiler is now Houston’s starter. But McCarron is still available. Other potential trade targets could be Landry Jones and Sean Mannion. Obviously, other options are out there, but Chicago would have to decide they like another team’s quarterback a whole lot to make a trade.

The issue here is what the Bears would have to surrender in order to acquire a new signal-caller. Out of those quarterbacks mentioned, McCarron would easily be the hardest to acquire.

I can’t imagine the price being anything less than a second-round pick. If I were running the Chicago Bears, I would make a trade for McCarron. But if I were running the Bears, Tracy Porter wouldn’t be anywhere near the starting lineup.

Trading for a player, especially a quarterback, is always a risk, as one team always seems to end up looking stupid.

Dec 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) scores a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Free Agency

The big issue with waiting until free agency is the lackluster group of soon-to-be free agents. There’s really no clear-cut favorite in this weak class. Most of the guys who will be free agents have had chances to shine, but have failed to capitalize on the opportunities.

Here’s a quick rundown of the guys who may be without a team following this year:

That’s not exactly a class full of world-beaters. Geno Smith hasn’t played a game since 2014. To his credit, Smith’s last start featured him posting a 158.3 quarterback rating. I think Smith has the most potential out of the listed people. Fitzpatrick is a bridge quarterback at best, and I don’t think the Bears would want to bring in the Harvard alumnus.

Then you have Cousins, who may or may not be retained by Washington, would be the most appealing option of those players. However, his erratic play has led many to lose faith in him. It’s possible Cousins returns to Washington, which would surprisingly make the other candidates more desirable.

Honestly, I wouldn’t want to throw money at any of those guys.

Sep 22, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) rolls out of the pocket in the fourth quarter of their game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Tigers won 26-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The 2017 NFL Draft

This is where things get really, really interesting, as this year’s draft class figures to boast a bevy of talented quarterbacks. DeShone Kizer, Deshaun Watson, Baker Mayfield, and Brad Kaaya are just a few of the quarterbacks who will likely be available during the draft. In fact, I like this quarterback class as a whole much more than last year’s.

One would assume, with the way the team has been performing lately, that Chicago will “earn” an early pick in this year’s draft. What that means is the Bears will have a real shot to nab a new quarterback to build a team around.

The Bears really deserve a new quarterback to build a team around. This is such a storied franchise, whose most notable quarterback over the past 13 years has been Rex Grossman.

Drafting a quarterback would accomplish two things:

Wouldn’t it be grand to see DeShone Kizer suit up for the Bears after spending his college career at Notre Dame?

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