Spotlight: Jay Cutler

He is one of the most polarizing players in all of football. Well kinda, turns out a majority of people just flat out don't like him. Come to think about it, is Jay Cutler the most disliked quarterback in NFL history? When Cutler was injured in the NFC Championship game Twitter was ablaze with players, media, and fans tearing him apart. But why is Culter so hated?

Some don't like him for what happened in Denver (Mark Schlerith), some don't like him because they felt he quit in that conference championship game, but a majority of people don't like Cutler because of his sideline demeanor. People talk all the time about how Cutler's pouty attitude is bad for the team. That he can't be a leader doing that. Everybody things/says that Cutler needs to change if he wants to be successful or win a Super Bowl. But I don't. A friend recently asked me what my thoughts on Cutler were. Here is what I told him.

Cutler is who he is. He isn't a rah rah guy. Never has been. He's a competitive, emotional person. Does he pout? Yes. Does he throw a lot of interceptions? Yeah (so does Eli Manning, but we never talk about that). People want Cutler to change. They want him to be like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees. But that's not who he is.

When people were blasting Cutler during the NFC Championship Game they were mad because he wasn't involved. Because he was sitting there disinterested. But wouldn't you? Just think about it. You are the starting QB one game away from the Super Bowl. Playing against a team that you've beaten once and almost beat a second time. You've been sacked 52 times during the regular season, and during this game you've been knocked around too. On one of those hits you tear a ligament in your knee. You try to go out and play on it, and it's not working. You get pulled from the game. Wouldn't you be pissed? I sure as hell would be? Yeah I would want to still want the team to win the game and have my teammates play well, but when you can't help, you aren't the most positive person on that sideline. So when a guy is healthy and playing isn't the most positive rah rah guy. Why would he be when he is hurt and can't go back in the game? Now I still feel that the Bears organization was a big reason for the lack of information that should have come out. Why they said that he was questionable is beyond me. Its not like the Packers are listening to the TV broadcast. Why the trainers didn't put ice on the knee either? They caused a lot of this backlash. But I just don't get why everybody has to keep trashing this guy. He is who he is. If you don't like him good, but to keep rehashing on old news gets (well) old.

Now that a new season has started, Cutler looked good in his first game against Atlanta. He threw for 312 yards and had 2 touchdowns. He did have an interception but that was on a tipped pass which isn't necessarily his fault. He is also doing this without a true #1 WR. Heck maybe not even a #2.

Am I a Jay Cutler apologist? Am I making excuses for him? Maybe, but I think we need to just give Jay a break. And just let him play. He is in his second year under Mike Martz and as long as the offensive line gives him time he could enjoy his best season as a pro.