If there was a ‘Be careful what you wish for…’ category at your local Barnes & Noble, you would no doubt find among other interesting reads – The Jay Cutler story.  No one is asserting that it would make the N.Y. Times bestsellers list, but at the very least it would be a compelling read for the football fan. Drafted by the Broncos in 2006, Cutler was promoted to starting QB three-quarters of the way into the 2006 season by Mike Shanahan who felt he gave the Broncos the best chance to win.  This of course meant that in Shanahan’s mind Jake Plummer gave the Broncos a better chance to lose and the Broncos subsequently cut ties with Plummer at the end of the season.  Cutler finished the 2006 campaign with a rather impressive 88.5 passer rating, and followed it up with solid outings in 2007, and was voted to the Pro-Bowl in 2008.  But the 2008 season was anything but a Pro-Bowl finish by the Broncos.  After a promising start to the season, and seemingly a lock to make the playoffs they lost their last 3 games, including the final game of the season to their rival Chargers.  It was a crushing defeat 52-21 that all but packed Mike Shanahan’s bags – the second longest tenured coach in the NFL.  

It was a bold move by owner Pat Bowlen and it would certainly be understandable if Cutler felt a measure of angst at Shanahan’s departure.  The aforementioned coach had not only been the only mentor and tutor during Cutler’s young career in the NFL, but is widely regarded as one of the great offensive minds in the game.  After all this was the guy that took Cutler the very same year to the Pro-Bowl promised land – a land laden and rich with bonuses and endorsements.  This was like Kirstie Alley hearing that Jenny Craig was being pulled by the FDA. 

To right the ship, Bowlen went to recruit Josh McDaniels, a junior coming out of Belicheck University, and another seemingly fresh offensive mind that could guide Cutler to a steady diet of first and tens.   What followed, however, was an avalanche that probably few Coloradans had witnessed in their lifetime.  On February 28, 2009, a report broke from ESPN that McDaniels was discussing a possible trade that would see his former Patriot protégé – Matt Cassell – acquired by the Broncos in a 3-way deal.  The seeming deal fell through, but this was the rumbling that set the avalanche in motion.  Cutler requested to be dealt and placed a ‘For Sale’ sign on his Denver home.  Subsequent efforts by McDaniels and Bowlen to appease Cutler fell on deaf ears and on April 2, 2009 the Cutler era had ended in Denver.  Cutler was traded to the Windy City along with a 5^th round pick in 2009 for Chicago’s man under centre – Kyle Orton – and the Bears first and 3^rd round picks in 2009 and the Bears 1^st round pick in 2010. 

Chicago finally had the franchise QB that for years eluded the organization, while Denver fans were left wondering if McDaniels had Plummer’s number in his Rolodex.  Fans and prognosticators alike began to pronounce the Bears an early favourite for February trip to Miami.  Things continued to snowball when Cutler waltzed into Denver and despite a chilly Rocky Mountain welcome, promptly led his team to a 27-17 win in the preseason.  This simply cemented in everyone’s minds the deathblow to the Denver franchise that was dealt with Cutler riding out of town like a bucking Bronco. 

Except, for the little something-something we call the regular season.  When the games became meaningful,  then began the ‘Be Careful What You Wish For….” story.  The regular season tells a very different tale and one that is certainly beyond happenstance with only 3 games left to play.  Cutler’s Bears at 5-8 will not be making any appearances in Miami in February and if Cutler makes it to Hawaii in February it will be to sip Pina Coladas rather than finding a Pro-Bowl receiver streaking across the middle.  Albeit, he just may want to see what he can do to coax management into finding a discontented Pro-Bowl receiver who could join the malcontent Cutler. 

In fact, if I told you that one of the QBs dealt for each other would have 19 TD, 22 INT and 75 passer rating at this point in the season and the other would have 16 TD, 8 INT and an 88 passer rating, which one would be the donkey upon whom you would pin the tail? 

Perhaps, over the long haul this deal will still work out in favour of the Bears and everything they hoped for when they anointed Cutler as the second coming of Johnny Unitas.  However, in the meantime this could not have been what Cutler or the Bears had wished for. 

Still some questions linger: 

Does this reveal anything about a certain offensive guru named Mike Shanahan’s ability to make the most out of his QBs? 

Does it reveal something similar about Josh McDaniels? 

Does it reveal something dissimilar about Lovie Smith? 

Was Cutler’s value overinflated by the sum of the parts that surrounded him in Denver? 

We may never know the answer to those questions, but in the meantime folks in Chicago must feel like investors at a Bernie Madoff visitation.  And Cutler may be wishing he was back in Denver.

The Duke