Jay Cutler should consider NFL return, replace Tannehill for Dolphins
Jay Cutler should consider coming out of retirement to take over for the injured Ryan Tannehill as the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. Getting back with Dolphins head coach Adam Gase would be great for his career.
For the first time in a very long time, Jay Cutler is no longer the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears. With the Bears opting for Mike Glennon in the short-term and Mitch Trubisky as the future, Cutler retired this offseason and will now head to the broadcast booth.
Cutler has not been a high-level starting quarterback, but he is still good enough to have a job in the league if he wants it. There did not seem to be a ton of interest in Jay Cutler this offseason, but now the injuries are starting to roll in. Cutler is probably happy giving broadcasting a try, but if a team comes calling, would he make the jump?
The Miami Dolphins may end up making that call.
Dolphins starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill went down with an ugly knee injury at practice on Thursday. While it has not been made official, Tannehill appears likely to be out for the entire 2017 NFL season, according to ESPN.
Tannehill is not exactly an elite NFL starting quarterback, but this puts the Dolphins in an extremely tough situation. This is a team that has postseason aspirations and now they are down their starting quarterback about a month before the season starts. Matt Moore is a good backup quarterback, but he does not give them a great chance to win. Make no mistake about it, the Dolphins are in trouble.
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Could Miami look Chicago’s former “savior” for some help? Jay Cutler to the Dolphins could certainly make some sense.
The main connection here is Dolphins head coach Adam Gase. Gase was the Bears’ offensive coordinator back in 2015 and made a significant impact on Cutler. The two really seemed to work well together and Cutler had easily his best season in Chicago with Gase controlling the offense.
In 2015, Cutler completed 64.4% of his passes for 3,659 yards, 21 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. Those 11 interceptions are the fewest that Cutler has ever thrown in a season where he has played at least 11 games. Gase undoubtedly had an impact on Cutler.
The Dolphins have a lot of exciting weapons in the passing game, highlighted by DeVante Parker on the outside and Jarvis Landry in the slot. They also have a great offensive line and a strong rushing attack led by Jay Ajayi. With a familiar coach and a strong supporting cast, it is easy to see why Cutler could have some success in Miami.
Next: Is Mike Glennon better than Cutler?
There is no doubt in my mind that the Dolphins should make this call. However, would Jay Cutler be interested? It is impossible to say for sure, but it sure seemed that he was not really ready to retire when he did. Cutler could easily just say no thanks and dig into his broadcasting career, but this is probably something to watch out for.