Jay Cutler is considering retiring from the NFL rather than find a new team to play for after the Chicago Bears released him. When the 2017 free agency period started, two big names immediately became available for any NFL team looking for a new quarterback. The Dallas Cowboys said they were releasing Tony Romo and the Bears waived Cutler. However, teams hoping to nab Romo took a shot to the jaw when Dallas held onto him and Romo retired from the NFL. Now, it looks like Cutler will follow him into retirement.
Jay Cutler’s rocky ride in the NFL
Unlike Tony Romo, who is in his late 30s and has had numerous surgeries over the past few years, Jay Cutler is only 33 and has suffered through injuries but nothing as bad as Romo’s ailments.
However, the problem with Cutler is his lack of success in the NFL regardless of who he played for. When the Denver Broncos took Cutler with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, they thought they found the man who would finally replace John Elway, years after he stepped away from the NFL. Cutler immediately started putting up huge numbers but failed to lead Denver to the playoffs.
As a matter of fact, Cutler had not played a postseason game since high school. Finally, he demanded to leave Denver and went to the Chicago Bears in 2009. In his seven years in Chicago, Cutler broke the Bears passing records and put up incredible numbers. In those seven seasons, Cutler only made it to the playoffs one time.
To make matters worse, after Cutler left the Broncos, none other than Tim Tebow led Denver to the postseason. After years of never making the playoffs, Chicago decided to cut their ties with Cutler and left him considering his future.
Teams looking for a quarterback
There are a few NFL teams who need a quarterback, and at least one of them is a playoff contender based solely on their defense.
The Houston Texans needed a quarterback and traded last year’s starter, Brock Osweiler, possibly trying to free up cap money to sign Tony Romo. When Tony retired, the Texans were left with Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden at quarterback. While the team made it to the playoffs last year with Osweiler and the year before with Brian Hoyer, they are a legitimate quarterback superstar away from a Super Bowl trip.
Looking at Jay Cutler and his lack of success when reaching the postseason, he might not be the best fit for a team looking to win a Super Bowl, but Houston would be the best bet to give Cutler (and Romo before him) a chance to finally win a championship. Other teams that need a quarterback like the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets are nowhere close to a championship right now. Cutler has made over $100 million in his career, so he doesn’t have to play and it sounds like he might not be interested in trying to continue fighting an uphill battle in the NFL.
