Everyone has an opinion on Chicago Bears’ quarterback Jay Cutler. For a guy who has kept his nose relatively clean off the field, he seems to inspire intense dislike amongst NFL fans. Some cite his demeanor as the culprit, while others view him as a perennial under-achiever.
2014 could be the year that public opinion of Cutler begins to change.
Since being selected 11th overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2006 NFL draft, the Vanderbilt product has been met with colossal expectations. He was supposed to be that franchise’s next John Elway. He was supposed to be the passer that returned the club to its former glory.
One public spat with Josh McDaniels later, and that dream never got a chance to be realized. In 2009, Cutler was dealt to the Chicago Bears, and after five years in the Windy City, the results have not yet been commensurate with Cutler’s sensational talent.
Until this year, perhaps.
Cutler spent much of last season injured, but when he took to the field, he was impressive. It was his first year under head coach Marc Trestman, an offensive genius whose offensive scheme ranks with the game’s elite. Cutler also was treated to the best supporting cast of his career, with weapons like Martellus Bennett, Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffrey, and Brandon Marshall at his disposal.
Now fully healthy and entering his second season in Trestman’s offense, the potential is there for a stellar season. There is continuity in the coaching staff, something Cutler hasn’t had the benefit of for much of his career, and all of his star weapons remain in the mix. Cutler’s name has been on the lips of many in the midst of stellar preseason play, and once again he enters the season with a great deal of expectations on his plate.
In the NFL, fairly or unfairly, the quarterback almost always gets credit for the team’s success, and blame for the team’s failure. After the Bears were unable to defeat the Packers in a Week 17, winner takes the NFC North game last year, the club went out and restocked the deck defensively, improving the pass rush and the secondary. Ultimately though, those changes will go unnoticed if Cutler and the offense doesn’t deliver the goods. The Bears have a team that can easily contend for the division, and should the franchise miss the playoffs again, the blame will likely fall squarely on Cutler’s shoulders, just as it always seems to.
Clearly, Cutler has the potential to be one of the game’s elite. With a rocket arm, better-than-most-realize athleticism, and at only 31 years of age, that potential can still be realized. With a quality supporting cast, an excellent head coach, and some continuity, this could be the year he reaches that level.
There is no denying that Cutler will always have his haters. He would readily admit that. There’s no denying however, that he has been presented with the best opportunity in his career to silence them. It remains to be seen whether this is the year he accomplishes that task, but Bears fans are certainly hopeful it is. This is a big year for the franchise, and in some ways an even bigger year for Jay Cutler. Things should get interesting very quickly.
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