The Chicago Bears are one of the few teams that still have yet to hire a head coach. After firing head coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery following a disappointing season with the team, the Bears are on the hunt from someone who can get the team back to being playoff contenders. However, they will take over some roster implications as everyone from Jay Cutler to Matt Forte are having their futures put into question.
The Chicago Tribune reports that the status of Cutler could very much complicate the hiring of a head coach. At this point, the Bears are stuck in a long-term relationship with Cutler as the quarterback's seven-year, $126 million contract that is a heavy cap hit with plenty of guaranteed money. Cutler's recent stats certainly do not match the heavy contract which is making a trade extremely hard to come by for the Bears.
Chicago has hired Ryan Pace as their new general manager and he has big decisions to make at quarterback. With Cutler untradeable, Pace can either draft a rookie from an average class to eventually replace him or get a short-term free agency option like Brian Hoyer or Mark Sanchez to compete with him. According to the Tribune, it is a lose-lose situation for the new general manager.
"The GM can come in and say 'I didn't do it.' The coach has to say 'I have this.' And if you're a coach who has to deal with Cutler, you'll be on Valium pretty quickly. You'll always be on the verge of losing your marbles," said one NFL source to the Chicago Tribune.
There is also the issue of Matt Forte and a potential trade of the running back. By all accounts, Forte is a player to build around, still very much a playmaker for the Bears. Chicago likely would not find much of a market for Forte either. The running back has been one of the most consistent pieces to the Chicago offense and while the Bears could use the salary cap space to help rebuild, getting rid of Forte is not the option. The running back with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are the attractive pieces for a coaching hire, the issue is Cutler.