Cutler's 2013 was highlighted by two significant injuries. Both his groin and ankle were issues that kept him from playing throughout the year, which shouldn't scream "long-term contract" to anybody. How do the Bears know that Cutler will hold up? He's a tough guy, that's without a doubt. But, it seems every year there is something that keeps him from playing an entire season, or keeps him from being 100 percent healthy. In fact, Cutler's only full 16-game season as a Bear came in his first year with the team.
The emergence of Cutler's backup, McCown, proved that Chicago could have easily gotten by in the next year or two before drafting a franchise quarterback. McCown ended 2013 with the highest quarterback rating of his career at 109.0, and flourished in Trestman's system. The Bears could have signed McCown to be the short-term starter, while focusing on rebuilding their defense in the meantime.
Like I said before, Cutler did not earn himself a 7-year deal. The Bears are simply too loyal to their guy, though. For the next seven years, the quarterback position in Chicago is on lockdown barring a career-ending injury or trade. At first, that might sound incredible as a Bears fan. But, this is Cutler we're talking about. He hasn't proven himself in the five years as a Bear, so why give him another seven?
In Cutler's 67 career games with the Bears, he has thrown 75 interceptions and fumbled the ball 28 times. That equates to roughly 1.7 turnovers per game out of the Chicago quarterback, meaning, you are guaranteed Cutler will throw an interception each game and he very well could turn it over once more. Cutler has all the ability in the world to be a great quarterback -- we've heard it a million times. When will he begin to prove that, though? He'll be 31 years old entering next season and still hasn't peaked? Yikes.
The new deal gives Cutler an average of $18 million per year in the first three seasons, so it's safe to say the Bears front-loaded the deal. It doesn't matter how you spin it, that's just far too much money for a guy like Cutler. As I said previously, the Bears need cash to spend on defense, first and foremost. Offensively, Trestman can make it work with someone like McCown. Yes, he can also make it work with Cutler, but not for $54 million over three years. The Bears are, quite frankly, throwing money right out the window.
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