The Chicago Bears believe in Jay Cutler. Despite the fact that the 31-year-old has a history of injuries and inconsistent play in the NFL, the team signed the quarterback to a seven-year, $126-million deal in the off-season. They also let stellar backup QB Josh McGown sign with Tampa Bay.
It looks like the decision all came down to faith. The faith that Bears’ head coach Marc Trestman has in Cutler. “The number one thing from my standpoint is the way that he has invested in the Chicago Bears,” Trestman stated. “Jay has been emotionally and selflessly invested in ways that he wouldn’t talk about. But he really cares about this organization and every day he’s a very, very observant person and he’s a very proactive person in terms of inserting himself in all areas of this building to help this organization get better.”
Trestman likes what he’s seen out of Cutler, “It has been very, very impressive to watch how he has worked intelligently and selflessly to do that.”
Cutler has always had the talent and arm strength to win games in the NFL. However, his attitude and propensity to make silly mistakes on the field oftentimes overshadowed his ability. But Trestman clearly trusts in Cutler, “I have great respect for Jay’s football intelligence and his skillset. When we came in here, we knew he had the skillset.” The coach added, “The issue was, ‘Could we work together on a daily basis?’ because we both love football and we want to help our football team. And the answer to that question was a clear yes.”
Under Trestman’s tutelage last year, Cutler produced a career-high passer rating of 89.2. In his previous four seasons with Chicago, the quarterback averaged a passer rating of 81.9. However, Cutler suffered an ankle injury last season and played in only 11 games.
The Bears finished 8-8 last year. It’s apparent that the team feels that it has all the right parts to make a Super Bowl run this season. The front office added defensive ends Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston to help out in the defense department, where the team ranked 31st last season. Vegas currently has the Bears as the seventh ranked team to win the Super Bowl at 16-1.
Jay Cutler is prepared to start the season. The QB spoke this morning at his charity beach volleyball tournament, “I’m ready. I’m ready to go. I’m ready to get started.” He added, “I’ve just been talking to the guys the last couple of weeks and I think everybody’s kind of anxious to get back into it and see what we have.”
Bears begin training camp in just six days at Olivet Nazarene University.
What do you think of Chicago’s chances of making a Super Bowl run this season with Cutler?
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