The Chicago Bears have officially placed quarterback Jay Cutler on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, effectively ending his career with the team.
The Bears have officially placed QB Jay Cutler on IR, per league source.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 5, 2016
This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. It was noted earlier in December that Cutler would undergo season-ending surgery, a procedure that took place this past weekend.
Cutler injured his shoulder during a Week 11 loss to the New York Giants. That came just three starts into his return from a finger injury that kept him out of action earlier in the season.
With all signs pointing to Cutler’s departure from Chicago this upcoming offseason, this pretty much means the embattled quarterback has played his final game with the Bears.
Since Cutler suffered the injury, Matt Barkley has filled in well in his stead. In fact, he led Chicago to a blowout win over the hapless San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. With that said, there’s little doubt the Bears will be in the market for a franchise quarterback when the 2017 draft comes calling.
As it relates to Cutler, he’ll likely be given another opportunity to start around the NFL with many teams in disastrous situations as it relates to the quarterback position.