Written by Andy Benoit at MMQB.com
No quarterback over the past 10 years has been a bigger tease than Jay Cutler. That may seem like a totally negative statement. It’s not. Not totally. To be a tease, you must have something that appears enticing. For Cutler, it’s his almost unparalleled arm strength, his uncanny feel for touch passes in the 18-to-25-yard range, and his athleticism, which is better than what first meets the eye. And despite his utterly unfair and unfounded reputation for being soft, he’s one of the league’s toughest QBs. Few passers man up in the pocket better than he does.
The problem is that toughness doesn’t always keep you healthy. And here is where Cutler’s “yeah buts” roll in. He’s missed 25 games over the last seven years due to injury. Also, that arm strength can be the impetus to attempting throws that are too risky. Or, the arm strength can be sabotaged by sloppy mechanics, leading to inaccuracy.
Cutler’s flaws have been just spotty enough that coach after coach has believed they’ll soon disappear. But they haven’t, save for maybe 2015, when Cutler played for offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who committed strongly to a quick-strike passing game that engendered disciplined quarterbacking.
No other coach has channeled Cutler’s immense talent. And based on his current ongoing unemployment, it appears no other coach is willing to try. They see Cutler, who turns 34 next month, for what he really is: a supremely talented but ultimately unstable starting quarterback. Unfortunately for Cutler, 2017 is bearing no market for someone like this.
Cutler could be a veteran QB who builds a bridge toward a team’s future, similar to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has been a bridge for several years and is essentially a poor man’s Cutler. But, fair or unfair, Cutler’s reputation is one defined by surliness. Even if this is untrue—and many coaches I know who have had Cutler say it is—it’s a perception that has held long enough to shape his reality.
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