The Chicago Bears are looking for a new head coach and as they look at targets like Rex Ryan, Adam Gase, Dan Quinn and Doug Marrone, the team is debating the future of Jay Cutler and if a trade happens for the quarterback, teams like the Washington Redskins, NY Jets, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Cleveland Browns could be potential options.
The Bears finished the season 5-11 and they fired both head coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery and now are looking to fill both positions. According to Pro Football Talk, the Bears plan on looking at Dan Quinn and Adam Gase as head coach options along with Rex Ryan and this comes as the team is lining up general manager interviews as well. ESPN.com reported that Ryan could also be a potential option for the Bears, but the team is likley to find a new GM before bringing in a head coach.
The Bears had a very disappointing season under Trestman, going 5-11 and watching as their newly signed quarterback Jay Cutler was benched towards the end of the season. Cutler signed a seven-year contract worth $126.7 million before the season and it basically symbolized all that was wrong with the Bears that he was benched in Week 16 for Jimmy Clausen. Cutler led the league in interceptions and turnovers this season and his future with the team is unclear after his benching.
While most would not think of it based on the headlines this season, Cutler actually put up a career high in passing touchdowns with 28 and his second best numbers in passing yards with 3812. Cutler completed 66 percent of his passes, but he had 18 interceptions and some of them came at very crucial moments. The Bears now will have a new leadership group in place and if they opt to trade Cutler, teams like the Washington Redskins, NY Jets, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Cleveland Browns could be interested.
Cutler's contract will be very hard to move, but the Bears could be motivated to do something drastic after the way this season went. The new general manager and coach obviously will have a major say in what happens to Cutler and depending on who the team hires, they could end up keeping their quarterback. Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Rex Ryan all could be potential fits, with Quinn a very hot candidate in 2015. Cutler will make $15.5 million next season after being the highest paid player in the league last year and for the first time with the Bears he remained healthy throughout the season.
The Bears went just 1-5 against the NFC North this season and they finished the year with a five game losing streak to punctuate things. Trestman came from the CFL and had no NFL head coaching experience and now the Bears are back at square one. The team picked an offensive coach in Trestman last time and now they may look at someone that is a defensive minded coach like Quinn or Ryan. The Bears ranked 30th in passing yards allowed per game this season and over the past two years they gave up team record amounts of yardage.