When the Miami Dolphins brought Jay Culter in, most people looked at it as a quick fix at best, and a catastrophic (though comical) failure at worst. Sure, he had familiarity with Dolphins coach Adam Gase, who served as Chicago’s offensive coordinator for Cutler’s best year as a Bear. But coming in late in the offseason, after having committed to the broadcast booth? While also being Jay Cutler, a gunslinging quarterback with an unfortunate proclivity for misfiring?
But here’s the thing: he’s actually not a bad player. He’s not a great player, and he does have a bad game (or four) every season. But the excuses people made for him in Chicago weren’t without merit. Look at the list of offensive coaches he played under. The only one who is still in any real demand is Gase, with whom Cutler succeeded. And whenever Cutler was injured, save a fluky Josh McCown run, the Bears offense was hopelessly lost. (Best exemplified by the infamous punt game in Seattle, helmed by the legendary Jimmy Clausen.)