Chicago Bears: Five things to look watch for in 2017

Cutler moves from the pocket to the booth

One of the first moves Pace did when the new season started was to cut ties with quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler was a lightning rod for controversy throughout his time in Chicago. Fans were split on him — some wanted him gone by any means necessary and others who defended him to the death.

Cutler received criticism both for his ill-timed interceptions during games and his attitude towards coaches and teammates.

Former Chicago Bears safety Antrel Rolle spoke to NFL.com recently about Cutler and his aloofness:

"I just felt like, honestly, if Jay involved himself more with the team, more with his receivers, I think he’d get more better results on the playing field,” Rolle said on NFL Network. “Like I said I just honestly feel like he would get much better results if he involved himself more in the team collectively, with all individuals. It doesn’t have to be offense, defense, special teams, but just everyone as a collective unit, I think he would get more out of his game for himself."

Rolle isn’t the only but the latest to talk about Cutler. That aloofness is something that teams don’t want from their quarterback.

It seems that Cutler really likes getting criticized for his work on Sundays. He moved from the field to the booth to become a Fox Sports analyst. Ironically (or maybe not so ironic), his first nationally televised game will be on August 27th, covering the preseason game between the Bears and the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee is where Cutler lives during the offseason, so both teams have a connection to him.

It will be interesting to see how Cutler adjusts to doing the criticism as opposed to getting criticized. Early on in 2017, we can all look forward to hearing this game as much as watching it.