Quarterback Jay Cutler’s tumultuous time with the Chicago Bears is at an end. While Cutler showed signs of brilliance from time to time, critics blasted his “inconsistency” and failure to really get and keep the Bears in the playoff hunt year after year. Others come to Cutler’s defense, saying the Bears never really committed to putting all the pieces around the quarterback to give him what he needed for success.
Both of those positions have merit, according to which expert you ask, but, as of Cutler’s recent retirement, those are simply academic arguments. The Bears have moved on, and so has Cutler, who has joined Fox Sports as a game analyst for the 2017 season. In a statement, Fox Sports president of production John Entz, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Jay to the Fox Sports family… We’re very excited about the potential he brings to the booth and are looking forward to hearing his analysis.”
While Cutler hasn’t had a lot of time in front of the camera, many believe he’s going to do a good job with Fox. And, at least in this case, there will be no questions about how well his support team is set up. Fox Sports has proven to be a fan favorite, especially with NFL coverage, so Cutler may just find his second career to be more successful than his first.
But what about the Bears. The Monsters of the Midway have been struggling to find a go-to quarterback for decades now. Cutler was by far the most successful at that position, especially in recent memory, racking up more than 23,000 passing yards, according to Pro Football Reference. In fact, according to the Chicago Tribune, although there are more Bears in Canton than any other team, Sid Luckman is the only QB. George Blanda made it as a kicker, primarily.
So, what about the other Bears QBs. McMahon never played a full season, and Harbaugh, despite being solid, wasn’t any kind of standout superstar. So, do Bears fans have a reason to hope this might change headed into the 2017 season? Maybe.
Mike Glennon, who played well as a starter and as a backup for the Bucs, is now in Chicago, projected to start ahead of Mark Sanchez or Connor Shaw. But, despite his success, Glennon really doesn’t have Bears fans lining up for tickets. That honor may go to recently drafted Mitch Trubisky, who is expected to challenge Glennon for the starter’s job, though perhaps not as a rookie.
No matter who takes the snaps in Chicago, they will need more help if they want to get out of the middle of the pack in the NFC. And fans are tired of hearing wait until next year.