The Chicago Bears season ends in disappointment once again. The team does not have long to wallow in their sorrows as the offseason will be filled with its share of big decisions. Now with the season over, free-agent-to-be Jay Cutler can begin to think about his future and whether or not Chicago will be a part of it. The quarterback has certainly played well, but is it enough to get the next long-term deal?
There are plenty of factors that will play into a decision regarding Cutler. The quarterback certainly did his best this season. Despite once again missing several games with a variety of injuries, Cutler returned to play well down the final stretch. Even in the loss to the Green Bay Packers, Cutler had a career-best performance, giving coaches and team officials confident he can build on the momentum for 2014.
Head coach Marc Trestman would not discuss the future of Cutler or the competition with backup Josh McCown who also played extremely well this season. Cutler has spoken out about his desire to return to the Bears, but also expects a favorable contract extension considering the trend last offseason was the $100 million-plus contract for quarterbacks.
"You can't predict the future," Cutler said, via Tony Andracki of CSN Chicago. "It always works out how it's supposed to."
The Bears have several other players that will be looking for contract extensions, so Phil Emery and company must be smart about what they do. The general manager is not ruling out a franchise tag even though it would be a serious salary cap hit. The tag for quarterbacks is expected to be around $16.2 million next season. Cutler would have leverage to ask for a big long-term deal which could hurt any future moves for the Bears.
Chicago also has the option of retaining McCown. They could then draft a rookie to learn under Trestman while McCown plays out next year. The backup certainly proved he can handle a starting quarterback job. But is he the man for the job? If Cutler is not re-signed, every single team in the league looking for a new quarterback will target him.
McCown threw off all plans after telling Sports Illustrated that he was considering retirement at the end of the season. The 34-year-old is also set to become a free agent, but is targeting more time with his family. If offered a starting job, McCown would certainly consider it, but if not then the quarterback could call it quiets after his breakout year.
Bleacher Report is noting that Cutler's play after returning from injury might have been enough to sway public opinion on his future. The issue could be agreeing on how much the quarterback is worth. Cutler has yet to play a full season for the team as durability is a big issue. The quarterback has also admitted he will not hesitate to hold out if the two parties have trouble agreeing and a franchise tag is forced. Time will tell what happens to the quarterback.
