NEWSLETTER
There was a time back in 2017 when it looked like Jay Cutler was headed to an NFL broadcast booth.
That never materialized, which is a real shame. Combining Cutler’s honest assessments and football acumen, then putting it in a game-day broadcast booth would’ve been neat. I’m not sure if Cutler would be as highly thought of as Tony Romo. However, it would’ve been worth tuning in for his insights.
Even though the ship has sailed on Cutler being a broadcaster, he’ll chime in every now and again on the Waddle and Silvy Show. The ESPN 1000 hosts had Cutler on the radio Tuesday to discuss a variety of Bears topics. Here are some highlights.
♦ “I wouldn’t play the kid to start. I’d let him watch,” Cutler said. “I think it’s a tough spot to just throw someone out there, especially in Chicago.”
Hey, if this feels like something you’ve heard before, it’s because Cutler had similar advice after the team chose Mitchell Trubisky in 2017.
If anyone knows about the rigors of what it’s like to be a quarterback in Chicago, it’s Cutler. He was under a microscope upon his arrival and the spotlight never left. Every decision was scrutinized. Each throw picked through with a fine-toothed comb. Everything he said and did while as a member of the Bears was a thing. And while Cutler owns essentially every important quarterback record in franchise history, he did so while being the most polarizing Bears player I’ve ever seen.
But also, Cutler knows a little something about sitting and watching. Cutler, despite being chosen with the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, had to sit behind Jake Plummer to start his NFL career. For what it’s worth, Cutler said he benefited from watching on the sidelines. Granted, Cutler also says he felt as if he needed the reps. But in the end, the experience of living through the ups, downs, wins, and losses without the pressure of trail by fire prepared Cutler.
♦ “They have to get the line, weapons,” Cutler said regarding the moving parts surrounding Justin Fields. “I really like the coach. That’s never been an issue in my mind. I think he’s going to put together a plan.”
Some love for Matt Nagy? A surprise, to be sure. But a welcome one. The last two seasons haven’t been kind to Nagy. Sure, winning 12 games and the NFL’s Coach of the Year award for his efforts in 2018 was great. But in a what have you done for me lately? kind of world, going 8-8 in consecutive years while watching Mitchell Trubisky spin his wheels and the Nick Foles thing flame out has turned public sentiment on its ear. Welcome to life as an NFL head coach in a football-crazed market featuring many who thought an offensive-leaning head coach would magically make a quarterback into something he wasn’t.
♦ “I will say this isn’t Ohio State,” Cutler said, as he began giving advice. “This isn’t college football. The playing field gets levels really quickly in the NFL. You’re going to get humbled. Bad things are going to happen. You’re just going to have to deal with it. … So, then you have to go back to the film and say, ‘Hey, my bad.’ You just want to limit your mistakes as you get older and as you see things.”
I’ll say this, if Cutler would’ve given himself this advice during his own playing career, I think things could’ve been different in Chicago. But with age comes experience. I’m sure there are things I’m sharing with younger friends and family that I wish I could’ve told my younger self. However, because I think it’s better to live, learn, and share, that it’s never too late to pass down some worthwhile advice.
As is always the case, there’s good give-and-take when Cutler jumps on the Waddle and Silvy show. So give it a full listen:
5/25 @WaddleandSilvy & @TWaddle87 Pod-
– Jay Cutler & Charles Barkley join the guys!
– Should Fields play week one?
– Silvy is torn on the CubsDownload and subscribe on the ESPN Chicago App- https://t.co/wW3aSvpdc4 pic.twitter.com/xWpWfyPMDy
— ESPN 1000 (@ESPN1000) May 25, 2021
