Chicago Bears: 5 reasons why Jay Cutler was completely wrong about the Bears QB situation
The organization initially made it clear that the plan was for Justin Fields to sit for a year akin to Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, but recent reports have indicated otherwise. In fact, here’s what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler had to say about the Chicago Bears’ QB situation on his Monday (5/31) appearance on Get Up! (via Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report):
"“This offseason the Bears assessed their situation and said, ‘Look, we’ve been an 8-8 team, we just need an upgrade at quarterback that can get us closer to 10 wins.’ They felt Andy Dalton did that. They said, ‘Hey, we can win 10 games with this guy, he’s a slight upgrade at the position.’ But then they had the chance at Justin Fields, crazy athlete, great ability. They said, ‘OK, this is the long-term play.’ “Now, if Fields is just undeniable over the next three to four months in training camp, they’re not going to just sit him just for fun or posterity just to play the veteran. So they’re going to give him the best chance, but they’re OK sitting Fields if Dalton has a good grasp on the job and they feel like they can win with him. So, they believe they’re going to be better regardless. It just depends on whether Fields is ready Week 1.” – Jeremy Fowler"
Interestingly enough, even former Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler is intrigued by the Bears’ QB situation and recently appeared on the Waddle and Silvy podcast to share his thoughts.
Cutler’s perspective is a unique one in that given his tenure as quarterback of the Chicago Bears is one of the most wildly debated topics among the Bears fanbase. Arguably the most talented quarterback since Sid Luckman until Justin Fields, Cutler is likely the only one who understands the type of pressure and expectations that were placed on Justin Fields’ shoulders the minute Chicago drafted him.
Ever since Justin Fields was drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Bears just over a month ago, fans and media alike have been speculating as to when we will first see him take the field.
However, while Cutler has likely forgotten more football than I could ever hope to know, I could not help but take exception to his recent comments on Waddle and Silvy’s podcast. He erred on the side of caution with Fields’ development, advocated for patience with respect to when he should start, and pushed for Dalton to take the field week 1. While I understand his reasoning, my conclusion was that his comments were out of touch with this current Bears team and its aspirations for 2021 and going forward.
What follows here is a breakdown of various segments from Cutler’s interview and my issues with his perspective as it pertains to the Bears QB situation.