Jay Cutler has taken a lot of criticism during his time as an NFL quarterback, but should he be getting so much blame?
If you ever want to feel better about yourself, just head on over to Twitter on any given day that the Chicago Bears are losing (or sometimes even winning) a game, and search “Jay Cutler”.
Inevitably what you’ll come across is a myriad of tweets completely eviscerating the Bears quarterback and his abilities.
But why? Why is a quarterback who was once looked upon as that “missing piece” the Bears needed to win a Super Bowl now the butt of endless jokes and ridicule, and the centerpiece of a frustration pinata party by Chicago fans?
Predominantly Orange
Why is the contract (he is signed through 2020) of a quarterback who has engineered 17 fourth quarter comebacks and 21 game-winning drives in his career looked upon as an albatross around the neck of the Bears?
Is it perception, or is there something to all the acrimony?
The problem with Jay Cutler isn’t ability, he’s proven that since his days at Vanderbilt. The guy can sling the pigskin with the best of them at times, and has one of the prettiest throwing motions you’ll ever see. He’s accurate, and has a strong enough arm to stretch the field when needed.
But yet all this ability has only translated into a 59-54 record as a starting quarterback, and a 1-1 record in postseason. A guy who was supposed to be a heady team leader who didn’t make mistakes that would cause his team to lose games has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 1.4 to 1, and has fumbled the ball an average of eight times per season.
Those are not the numbers of a quality starting quarterback, less yet an “elite” quarterback who will lead a team to a championship.
But there are other quarterbacks with similar career numbers who do not necessarily draw the ire of fans the way Cutler does. Some people seem to take a particular pleasure in bashing Cutler with a verbal lead pipe.
“He is not a rah-rah type of guy. He is intelligent and his desire to win and his competitiveness are strong. Sometimes people misinterpret that for something different” – Jay Cutler agent, Bus Cook
As with many things in life, its all about perception. And Jay Cutler gives off the perception of a spoiled, disinterested and pompous quitter – and that more than anything is what drives fans (particularly fans in a midwestern blue collar town like Chicago) berserk.
Arrogant, stubborn, immature and standoffish are not the adjectives that should follow a starting quarterback in the NFL around during his career, and unfortunately for Cutler, that has been the case ever since his days with the Denver Broncos.
There have been many attempts to diffuse the running perception of Cutler as a loner and abdicator, and as someone who can’t take even the slightest injury without asking to be removed from a game…in short, a wimp. He’s appeared in television commercials practically making fun of himself and his image, and even had a part, along with wife Kristin Cavallari, on the hit comedy show “The League”, but to no avail.
When you look at Cutler’s facial expressions, they just don’t seem to match what fans want from their starting quarterback – no fire, no determination, no competitive scowl…just indifference.
If stoicism were people, Jay Cutler would be China.
And instead of Cutler picking up his teammates, and being the mouthpiece for the team and shouldering both praise and blame, it seems there is always a constant stream of his teammates having to come to his defense, whether it be for his play on the field, or his so-called “attitude”.
All of these things — lack of success, inability to lead, and perceived detachment — have led to a relationship between Jay Cutler and fans that may be irreparable at this point.
But is it real, and is it fair?
Fair is all relative, and in the NFL, when you don’t win — especially when you don’t win in a football city like Chicago — all bets are off, and anything is fair game. Cutler may own several Bears franchise passing records, but the one thing he doesn’t own is the reason why the Bears brought him to the franchise in the first place, and that is a Lombardi Trophy.
Certainly there are sides to Cutler and his personality that fans never see. His work with charity, his devotion to family, and his bond with his teammates all get overlooked because of his curt answers during press conferences and interviews, and his generally disagreeable demeanor.
This could be a case of “you get what you pay for” with Cutler. There were some who thought that Cutler was a better quarterback prospect than both Matt Leinart and Vince Young (neither of whom are currently starting or even playing in the NFL right now), and should have been drafted ahead of the two.
Let’s face it, Leinart and Young led their teams to championships in college, but Cutler (and yes, we know it was Vanderbilt) compiled a paltry 11-35 record as a starter.
But yet Leinart and Young, despite utter failures during their NFL careers, never took the ribbing or ridicule that Cutler endures.
“Jay is not arrogant,” Bus Cook, Cutler’s agent, has said. “He is not cocky. He is not a rah-rah type of guy. He is intelligent and his desire to win and his competitiveness are strong. Sometimes people misinterpret that for something different.”
The truth is, it doesn’t matter how intelligent Jay Cutler is, or how must supposed passion he has for the game of football, or how tremendous his drive to win may be — you have to actually win games, not just be driven to win them, or criticism is sure to follow.
This past Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field — where Jay Cutler’s dreams go to die — his performance was miserable, and his reaction was typical.
“We’re all looking for answers right now,” Cutler said after the game. “We really don’t have a lot of them.”
The answer?
Win.
Win and it all goes away, all the criticism, all the negative press, all the endless memes. But winning isn’t something that Jay Cutler has particularly excelled at in his entire career, and that is the crux of the problem.
Tim Tebow has none of Cutler’s physical gifts as a passer, and all of the intangibles that Cutler does not possess. But Tebow managed to lead his team to wins, and to win over fans in the process. One of the worst passers you’ll ever see still has fans clamoring for a return, while Cutler simply finds ridicule.
Is it fair?
It doesn’t matter if it’s fair. It seems to be pretty accurate.
More from FanSided
- Caesars + BetMGM Promos: Four Chances to Win Betting on the Women’s World Cup
- MLB trade grades: Angels-White Sox deal takes Shohei Ohtani off the table
- Justin Jefferson taking on new role with Vikings offense
- Astros, Rangers benches clear after Adolis Garcia grand slam
- Jonathan Taylor’s agent shades Jim Irsay after Colts owner comments on RBs