Something called Jimmy Clausen will start at quarterback for the Chicago Bears on Sunday. According to ESPN, Jay Cutler, a turnover machine, was cast to the bench on Wednesday – a move that shocked the NFL world.
You don’t have to dig very deep to find recent articles claiming Cutler was the second best quarterback in the NFC North, just behind the miracle worker himself, Aaron Rodgers. Rant Sports did just that back on Aug. 21.
With Rodgers in the division, Cutler was never going to be the No. 1 signal caller in the North. But he is No. 1 at something.
At $22.5 million for this season, Jay Cutler will earn $1,323,529 on Sunday against #Lions when Jimmy Clausen starts for #Bears
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) December 18, 2014
That’s right, Cutler, who signed a seven-year, $126 million contract in January, according to Bleacher Report, is the highest paid offensive player in the NFL. Now he’s the highest paid benchwarmer in the NFL.
Most pundits are projecting the end of the Cutler era in Chicago. The last team he’ll play…er…sit on the bench with a blank stare against? The Minnesota Vikings. It’s a Dec. 28 season finale at TCF Bank Stadium. It’s going to be cold in Minneapolis that Sunday, but not as cold as the bone-chilling column Mike Freeman wrote for Bleacher Report.
“Throughout Cutler’s career, coaches always believed: I can change him. This is the Jeff George Theorem. It’s right up there with Hawking radiation and relativity. The more you rely on Cutler, the more you think you can change him, the more you fall into the abyss.”
Sticking your tongue to a metal post in subzero temperatures and ripping it off would be less painful than Freeman’s slap to Cutler’s face.
What’s Cutler’s biggest problem, aside from his league-leading 24 turnovers and 18 interceptions? He’s “uncoachable,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
Jim Corbett of USA TODAY Sports called Cutler a “wild mustang who can’t be tamed.”
It might be true. The Bears have taken a ride to the playoffs just once with Cutler in the driver’s seat; beating the Seahawks in 2010 before losing to the Packers in the NFC Championship game.
The Bears traded for Cutler in 2009. Then-general manager Jerry Angelo was aware of Cutler’s attitude, but he didn’t think much of it.
“I don’t have any concerns,” Angelo said the day of the trade, according to ESPN. “[Then-coach Lovie Smith] and I talked about that. We did, like a lot of people who were interested in Jay, a lot of work going back to not just when he was with Denver but going back to his days at Vanderbilt.”
Cutler might want to take some advice from Robert Griffin III and stay off of social media for a while. See ya’ in a couple weeks, Jay.
forget idzik, whoever gave jay cutler a multiyear deal needs to be fired. i gotta think only 2 people liked that idea.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 18, 2014
Jimmy Clausen, who will get the start this week per @adamschefter, makes 27 TIMES less than Jay Cutler.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 18, 2014
Who thought THIS was a good idea or even remotely appropriate? http://t.co/bGeBGGvUf4 pic.twitter.com/iNTqvjf4Ne
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) December 17, 2014
Chicago benched Jay "Turnover Machine" Cutler. Good. But they still owe him $51 million guaranteed dollars. Horrifically Bad.
— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) December 18, 2014
As my followers know, I stake claim to the theory that Taylor Swift wrote "Blank Space" about Jay Cutler.
— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) December 18, 2014
Stan Marsh: "You kinda suck but my dad says you might be good someday" #JayCutler #Benched #SouthPark https://t.co/5UP2nqay7p
— CO (@ChipObafemi) December 18, 2014
