The Chicago Bears took a risk signing Jay Cutler to a seven-year contract. So far they are not seeing the benefits. The quarterback continues to struggle heavily and the Monday night loss to the New Orleans Saints was just another example. The Bears fell 31-15 on their own field as Cutler spent more time on the ground then standing upright. Already eliminated from the postseason, the Bears are starting to focus on next year and whether or not that includes Cutler.
Cutler's stat line in the boxscore certainly is not pretty. The quarterback finished the night going 17 for 31 for two touchdowns, three interceptions and seven sacks. It was ugly. After the game, Cutler held an extremely brief press conference after the loss, simply saying his play was not acceptable.
"We've got to play better and take a look at the film and try to see exactly what slowed us down," Cutler said, via the Chicago Tribune. "They had a good plan. They had a good plan. They mixed it up pretty well against us. They showed us a few new things. They knew what they were doing. ... just trying to get better for these two games and just going out and trying to give a good performance offensively."
It is not confirmed whether or not the Bears are shopping Cutler in a trade. It is not confirmed whether or not a trade is even in the plans at all. However, numerous NFL sources from the Chicago Tribune to Adam Schefter of ESPN have suggested that a deal for the quarterback might be the best long-term option for Chicago. Most of the speculation has to do with numbers.
If the Bears were to trade Cutler after the season, they would save $12.5 million. His $15.5 million salary is guaranteed next season. Any team that would trade for Cutler would have to take that on plus his $16 million of guarantees for the 2016 season. The Chicago Tribune suggests a deal that could include Cutler along with running back Matt Forte to help sweeten the deal. The team could try and get a first-round or second-round draft pick plus players for the deal. However, that is highly unlikely. Forte is one of the premier backs in the league, but no team is giving up a high draft pick for a 29-year-old player, especially a running back.
Assessing the market for Cutler is difficult simply because he comes with so much money attached to him. Several teams are looking for an upgrade including the Washington Redskins, Houston Texans, St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans. However, with players like Mark Sanchez, Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett set to be available at cheaper prices, the chances Cutler goes anywhere are slim to none.
