For better or worse, Jay Cutler is hitting the open market. He gave his all to the Chicago Bears franchise, though many fans would disagree with the sentiment. He'll leave as one of the greatest quarterbacks in franchise history with no playoff resume to show for it. His career is far from over, though, and his next potential destination could surprise - the Washington Redskins.
Done in Chicago
On Thursday, Cutler received his release from the Chicago Bears. The move was far from unexpected; he was earning one of the highest salaries in the NFL and not matching the contract with his play.
The Bears have struggled for several years now, and it always seemed likely that this would be the offseason where they chose to hit the reset button.
Still, it must have hurt Cutler's pride to receive his release after the team chose to sign Mike Glennon to a three-year deal in free agency. The career-long backup quarterback has not even started a game in the past two seasons, yet the Bears trusted him with a deal that will pay $15 million annually. The former Bears quarterback would certainly love to prove his detractors in Chicago wrong before his career comes to a close.
Moving to Washington?
It may not seem like it now, but there's a fit in Washington for Cutler. First, they'll have to move their own incumbent quarterback, though.
There's some debate as to whether that's going to happen - Kirk Cousins has reportedly asked for a trade, and has accordingly been rebuked, reportedly. Many are expecting Cousins to be moved to the San Francisco 49ers to be reunited with his old offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, at some point.
Even if Cutler does become the next starting quarterback in Washington, however, the odds of success are somehow still stacked against him.
Stuck in an increasingly competitive NFC East, the Redskins have already lost their two best targets, Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, to other NFC teams. They may be ready to take a step back in the standings, regardless of who's calling the signals.
