Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears had a rocky relationship for eight years. It ended on Thursday when the Bears released their long-time quarterback. Following the release, Cutler bid farewell to the organization and its fans with a note.
“I would like to first thank the city of Chicago and its passionate fans for a memorable eight years,” Cutler said in his note, per Adam L. Jahns of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I grew up in Indiana rooting for the Bears as kid, so it was an honor to wear the Bears uniform and play quarterback at Soldier Field for my favorite childhood team.”
Cutler would also thank the team’s executives, players, and other team employees both past and present.
The quarterback also made it clear that even outside of football, the city of Chicago will always have a special place in his heart.
“Chicago is the city where I met my wonderful wife Kristin. I have been fortunate to have three beautiful children here. Our family will leave Chicago with great memories and relationships on and off the field. We look forward to the next chapter in our lives and wish the best to Bear fans everywhere.”
This is a nice way for the relationship to end. Cutler was on the wrong end of plenty of well deserved scorn during his Bears tenure. But it’s nice to see him taking the high road and focusing only on the positives.
With the Cutler era officially over, Chicago will now resume its quest to find a franchise quarterback — a quest that it’s been on for several decades now.