Jay Cutler's immediate future became official last week.
The former Bears' quarterback isn't returning to the NFL this season and there's a good chance his football career has come to a screeching halt. Last Friday, Cutler inked a deal with FOX to become a color analyst in the broadcast booth this fall.
As expected, there were mixed emotions when the news came out. How could a guy with a seemingly dull personality thrive as a sports commentator? I actually think the former Vanderbilt standout has a chance to hush the doubters and thrive in his new gig, but that's yet to be determined.
Even though Cutler will undoubtedly be remembered in the Windy City for his meltdowns and tendency to throw the ball to the opponent, there were plenty of brilliant moments along the way as well. He did find a way to stick around for eight seasons after all.
When Cutler finally closed the door, the Chicago Tribune took some time to reflect on his best and worst games with the Bears. I'm not going to outline the entire piece, but here are my favorites.
Best Moments
Jan. 16, 2011: Bears 35, Seahawks 24
Dan Wiederer of The Tribune deemed this as one of Cutler's very best games and I fully agree after going back and watching the highlights. It was the NFC divisional game and the Bears' signal caller was hot from the opening whistle. Early in the first quarter, Cutler connected on a 58-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olsen. It was his first playoff TD and the momentum kept rolling from that point. Cutler wrapped up the day with 274 passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Obviously playoff wins are everything in the NFL, so there's a reason Wiederer singled this out as one of Cutler's shining moments.
Dec. 20, 2010: Bears 40, Vikings 14
This one has a couple notable storylines that really make it stand out. First, and most notable, the 40-14 pummeling of the Minnesota Vikings would go down as the last time Brett Favre suited up in a NFL uniform. On this day, Cutler was far superior to the legendary Hall of Fame passer. The second narrative is that this Week 15 matchup put the exclamation point on the Bears' impressive 11-win campaign. Cutler closed out that year with 3,274 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. In this regular season finale, the Chicago passer connected with Johnny Knox on a gorgeous 67-yard strike and ended the day with three total touchdown passes.
Worst Moments
Cutler vs. the Packers
Of the six "worst games" outlined in the Chicago Tribune piece, two of them came against the Packers. I decided to lump them all together in one segment considering Cutler's massive struggles when it came to the rival in Green Bay.
In 13 total meetings against the Packers including the postseason, Cutler posted a dismal 2-11 record. The Jan. 23, 2011 game is the one that stands out most to Bears' fans and probably the moment Cutler's career began to sputter in the wrong direction.
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With the Super Bowl on the line, Cutler looked completely out of sync early. He tore a ligament in his knee late in the first half and resorted to watching from the bench. Even though it was a legit injury, players and media began chattering about Cutler, his work ethic and dedication to the game. I don't really think it was justified but hey, we're dealing with rabid sports folks after all.
Maurice Jones Drew on Jay Cutler: "Hey I think the urban meyer rule is effect right now… When the going gets tough…QUIT."
— George Diaz (@georgediaz) January 24, 2011
Former Jaguars' RB Maurice Jones-Drew took to twitter with some harsh comments about Cutler that will forever go down as one of the early social media attacks from one athlete to another. Jones-Drew eventually backed off the comments, but they began to shape the persona that plagued Cutler in the latter half of his career.
Nov. 15, 2014: Bears 15, Saints 35
This is when all of the madness really came to a head. As an awful 5-11 season came to an end, the Bears met the Saints in a meaningless Monday Night Football tilt. Cutler tossed up three interceptions and Chicago really never stood a chance.
As the Tribune noted, NFL Network's Ian Rappaport cited an anonymous source after the game who said the Chicago front office was having "a serious case of buyer's remorse," after giving Cutler a seven-year deal worth $126.7 million the year before. It was clear there would be an eventual end to the Cutler/Bears marriage and it would come sooner rather than later.
Oct. 24, 2010: Bears 14, Redskins 17
This one didn't make Wiederer's list but as a die-hard Redskins' fan, it's one of my personal favorites. On a gorgeous October day in 2010, Washington cornerback Deangelo Hall had a field day on Cutler, coming away with four interceptions that led to a 17-14 win.
I'll be honest, here. As a 'Skins fan, I don't often have much to be excited about. The fact that D-Hall came away with four picks and we still only won by three points is the perfect representation of the madness I've brought upon myself for being a fan of this team. Either way, this was a good day for us and a bad day for Cutler.
I really thought another team would at least give Cutler a chance, but at least for now, it's not happening. You can't argue that he continues to be a polarizing figure and we will all be watching closely as one of the most memorable quarterbacks to come through Chicago takes his talents to the broadcast booth. I hope for him, it works out.