Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler spoke with the media Tuesday ahead of Week 8’s game against the Minnesota Vikings and was asked about his relationship with head coach John Fox.
His initial answer was somewhat amusing.
Reporter to Cutler: Do you feel like you still have [Fox's] support?
Cutler: "He doesn't have a choice, I guess, at this point."#Bears
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) October 25, 2016
The veteran quarterback did elaborate. He made it clear things are fine between himself and his coach.
“There’s never been any strain in our relationship. We’re both very open and honest and we’re on the same page,” he said, per Zach Zaidman. “We’re on the same page, “he said, “We just want to win football games.”
Cutler is finally healthy after injuring his thumb and will be the team’s starter, pretty much by default after Brian Hoyer broke his arm against the Green Bay Packers.
It’s either him or former USC quarterback Matt Barkley — an easy choice. Barkley was absolutely overwhelmed in backup duty after Hoyer left the game, completing just 6-of-15 passes for 81 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
Now, it’s worth pointing out that the Bears and Cutler are probably finished after the season. Most of the big money he was guaranteed in the last deal will be in the past following the 2016 season. Should the Bears cut him or trade him, there would be $2 million of dead money in 2017 and $1 million in 2018.
It’s no mystery that Cutler’s tenure in Chicago has been disappointing. He had a pretty decent season last year with Adam Gase calling plays. But other than that, he’s been very inconsistent and tends to force balls into coverage at the worst possible time.
For now, however, Chicago has no other choice than to roll with the man it paid big money to back in 2014. And to be honest, given the team’s current 1-6 record, a continued streak of losing might be the best possible outcome. If Cutler leaves and the Bears can draft a quarterback, things could finally start looking up in the years to come.