The coaches might be staying mum on the decision, but Jay Cutler is confident that his future continues with the Chicago Bears. The quarterback has finished out the final year of his current contract and will be eligible to hit the free agent market if he and the Bears decide to part ways. Chicago certainly has a lot of factors to consider before they start handing out new deals, but Cutler is confident everything workes out.
Cutler and the Bears must reach a new deal before March 11 which is the start of the new calendar year for the NFL. If nothing happens, Cutler will hit the market and likely have almost every team interested in his services.
"I'm confident in our ability [to get a deal done], and in [Bears general manager] Phil [Emery] and [team Chairman] George [McCaskey] and everyone over there that we'll find equal ground and get it worked out," Cutler said, via the "Jay Cutler Show" on ESPN 1000. "I don't know when it's going to happen, and eventually, it might not happen. But we're going to take a crack at it for sure. I don't know if I'd be surprised [if I didn't have a deal by the start of the new league year]; maybe disappointed. But like I said, this is a business and we all know that."
Cutler made $8.97 million in 2013 and will be looking for a significant raise. The issue will be trying to determine his worth. Cutler has yet to play a full season with Chicago, constantly missing games due to a variety of injuries. The trend in 2013 was the $100 million extension for quarterbacks, but is Cutler worth that kind of money if it means the Bears cannot make too many more moves after that?
"I don't care what position you play; if you hit the open market you are going to make more [money] as a free agent because they overpay," Cutler said. "You're going to have a couple of teams lobbying, and if that's your goal, you'll get as much money as you possibly can but from somewhere else."
Cutler is not the only one confident a contract extension gets finalized prior to the deadline. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall predicts his quarterback will be back under center come 2014. Following the loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, Marshall told the media that "Jay will be back."
"Jay will be back. Jay will be back. So all these stories for the offseason, you guys can put that at the bottom," Marshall said, via CBSSports.com. "Write everything you have to say and then just say Brandon said Jay will be back. Just like I said Jay will be back from the groin injury, Jay will be back in a contract year."