The Chicago Bears didn’t exactly have the most ideal of seasons. The same could be said for quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler started only five games after enduring various injuries that finally landed him on IR in early December.
This leads to the topic of conversation that typically takes place this time each year after a Bears’ poor season. What will the team do about Jay Cutler?
General manager, Ryan Pace shed a little light on the team’s current situation. And, it does not appear the Bears are necessarily ready rule out Cutler for 2017.
“There’s a lot of candid conversations that take place and a lot of transparency and honesty,” Pace said, per Connor Orr of NFL.com. “Some of those things I’d like to keep between us but I think once we make a decision as an organization, whatever it is, he’ll be the first to know. I gave him that promise. But again those decisions haven’t been completely finalized yet, but when they are, he’ll know immediately.”
Pace added, per the report, that when it comes to finding the Bears’ future franchise quarterback, “everything is on the table.”
Cutler has not managed to play a full season with the Bears since his first one back in 2009. This last season in particular was not a good one for the 33-year-old veteran. When on the field for his five games, Cutler completed just 59.1 percent of his passes and threw only four touchdowns compared to five interceptions.
Cutler is currently engaged in a seven-year, $126.7 million deal that takes him through 2020. But unlike previous seasons, the cap hit would finally be low. In 2017, the Bears would only lose $2 million in dead space if they decided to let Cutler go.
The Bears have the third pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. They also could explore the free agency pool of quarterbacks in just a few months. That said, there are certainly plenty of options to consider when it comes to making a decision regarding Cutler.