Written by Jeanna Thomas at SB Nation.com
The Chicago Bears have been trying, without success, to find a trade partner for quarterback Jay Cutler since January, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. If nothing materializes, the Bears are likely to release the veteran quarterback.
Cutler played in just five games for the Bears last season as he fought through myriad injuries, including a torn labrum that sidelined him for the last six games of the season. When he was healthy enough to be on the field, he completed just 59.1 percent of his passes and threw four touchdowns against five interceptions.
There are plenty of teams in the NFL that should find a veteran quarterback appealing, but with Tony Romo’s impending release from the Dallas Cowboys and Washington’s Kirk Cousinspotentially hitting free agency (or being available for trade), teams have options. If a trade doesn’t happen, the Bears can move on from Cutler without much financial penalty.
Cutler still has four years remaining on a seven-year, $126.7 million contract that carried $54 million in guaranteed money. However, the contract was structured to pay out the guaranteed money up front. If the Bears release Cutler, they’re just on the hook for $2 million in dead money.
If the Bears hold on to Cutler, which is unlikely, he is set to earn $16 million in 2017.
The Bears began exploring potential trade scenarios involving Cutler when John Fox first arrived in Chicago, to no avail. He missed most of 2016 with a shoulder injury, and when he was on the field, he struggled. His performance doesn’t seem like an outlier either. Cutler played so poorly during the 2014 season that then-head coach Marc Trestman benched him for Jimmy Clausen.
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