Jay Cutler suffered through some miserable seasons toward the end of his career in Chicago, which is probably the main reason it took a starting quarterback going down for him to find work this offseason. And despite what internet memes may tell you, all the losing took its toll on the man they call “Smokin’ Jay.”
After he went 12-23 in his last 35 starts with the Bears, Cutler admitted he felt worn down.
“I think you can talk about anybody in the league, no one likes to lose, no one likes going through those situations,” he said Monday, via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. “Those are tough. They wear you down. But that wasn’t the sole reason … I mean, they released me, so it was kind of end of the road at that point.”
Even if the Bears hadn’t released Cutler, it sounds like he would have been ready to move on. Despite that, he insists he never lost his passion for the game.
“Just kind of channeled it in a different direction,” Cutler added. “I still wanted to be in football, still wanted to be around it, and I was going to have that opportunity through FOX. Once this new opportunity [arose], it seemed like an absolute fit for me.
“I always missed [the game]. I think I’ve always said that there were going to be days I missed it and days I was content with my decision. There was never a week that went by that I didn’t think about playing football.”
Cutler often looks unenthused after important things happen on the field, but people express emotions in different ways. Fortunately, the way Jay expressed his led to one of the best bits the internet has provided in the last decade.
In Miami, Cutler will be surrounded by a much better team than the one he was with in Chicago. A new situation could suit him well.
