Ryan Pace and John Fox spent approximately 45 minutes giving their season-ending State of the Bears address on Wednesday, with one of the focal points being Jay Cutler and the future of the quarterback position.
Pace led the way in discussing the matter, detailing what he described as a candid and transparent exit interview with Cutler that happened Monday. Pace said while no decision has been made about Cutler’s future, he assured anyone who was listening Wednesday that Cutler and his agent James “Bus” Cook would be the first to know what direction the team is going. For what it’s worth, Cutler has no guaranteed money left on the remainder of the record-setting contract he received from Phil Emery.
Here are some other notable quotes:
Pace knows the importance of making the right decision at quarterback. Early in the press conference, he said: “Trust me, I understand the magnitude of that decision moving forward.” He doubled down later adding “There is no more important position than quarterback,” adding he realizes this move is a “critical decision for me and this whole building.” No pressure, eh?
The Bears seem intent to explore every avenue in their search for their quarterback in 2017, which is a good stance to take for a position everyone agrees is the most important. “Everything is on the table right now,” Pace said. “There is free agency, there’s trades, there’s the draft, there are current players on our team. Everything’s on the table.”
Jimmy Garoppolo is a name the Bears have been (at least since October) and will be tied to in trade talks. The Patriots’ backup is a suburban Rolling Meadows product who played college ball at Eastern Illinois. Learning under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick seems like an ideal place to cut your teeth, but acquiring him will likely cost the Bears some of the draft pick currency Pace currently owns.
Pace weighed in on Cutler’s injuries, noting that they affect the evaluation of how Cutler played. Pace said Cutler’s rehab is “significantly ahead of schedule” and called him a “freak” with regard to rehabbing injuries. For what it’s worth, Cutler is the only Bears quarterback under contract for 2017. Further, Cutler’s deal runs through 2020. And while $54 million in guarantees has already been paid, there is still up to $62.7 million left in base salary and $10 million worth of roster bonuses if he makes it through his age 36 season in 2020 – which seems highly unlikely. Spotrac has the contract rundown here.
Matt Barkley and Brian Hoyer are slated to be free agents and their future with the Bears is questionable. Barkley posted numbers worthy of a player fighting for a back-up role in his first four starts (6 TD, 5 INT), but was a turnover machine in his final two starts with 7 interceptions and a 61.9 quarterback rating. Prior to his season-ending injury, Hoyer had a four-start run where he averaged 330 yards, threw four touchdowns and no interceptions. But entering his age 32 season, Hoyer’s ceiling is evident but it doesn’t mean he can’t provide the bridge to the next long-term solution at the position.
While Pace didn’t come out with a plan to find that next quarterback, he opened a small window into what he was looking for and when he wanted to find it: “We played with so many different quarterbacks, it was hard to find continuity. So I think we’re looking for consistency and productivity from that position. I think we’ll find it this offseason.”
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
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NEWSLETTER
Ryan Pace and John Fox spent approximately 45 minutes giving their season-ending State of the Bears address on Wednesday, with one of the focal points being Jay Cutler and the future of the quarterback position.
