Jay Cutler - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins Notes: Quarterbacks, Moore, Cutler

August 5th, 2017 at 8:53am CST by Ben Levine

It has been a tumultuous 24 hours for the Dolphins. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill left practice earlier this week after suffering a non-contact injury, and subsequent reports have indicated the 29-year-old may miss the entire upcoming season.

Predictably, a number of free agent quarterbacks have now been connected to the wide-open Miami gig, including former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. Reports said that the organization had reached out to the veteran signal-caller, while later whispers said that there was mutual interest between the two sides. The 34-year-old retired back in May, but signing with Miami would allow him to reunite with former Bears’ offensive coordinator (and current Dolphins head coach) Adam Gase.

There haven’t been many updates since last night, but we’ve compiled several reactions to all of the news below…

ESPN’s Josina Anderson said (via Twitter) that no deal is imminent between the Dolphins and Jay Cutler. The team is still doing its due diligence and having discussions on all of the possible options. Our list of the top available quarterbacks can be found here.
One of those options would seemingly be backup quarterback Matt Moore, who has appeared in 10 total games over the past five seasons. If the 32-year-old is required to step in as the starter, he’s confident the offense can continue to click. “I’ve done this before in stepping up and getting ready if need be,” Moore told ESPN.com’s James Walker. “So that’s as much as I know and kind of the attitude I have moving forward. It stinks [with Tannehill being injured], but I thought today was a good practice. Guys were popping around and pretty competitive.”
Meanwhile, while many assumed that Cutler had retired for good, former teammate Kyle Long said he wouldn’t be shocked if the veteran returns to the field. “Obviously, knowing Jay for a while, I completely thought he was on full Montana mode, just chilling with his wife and kids,” the Bears lineman said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson). “But nothing would surprise me. Obviously being with [Dolphins coach Adam] Gase here and having relative success and a good relationship there, you never know. I don’t know anything about it. I just read about it today and thought it was pretty funny as well.”

Latest On Dolphins’ Quarterback Situation

August 4th, 2017 at 6:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There has been mutual interest between Miami and Jay Cutler since Dolphins starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered a left knee injury on Thursday. Adding to the speculation, Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post reports that Cutler would “really like to” reunite with Dolphins head coach Adam Gase. The feeling is mutual, as Cutler is Miami’s No. 1 choice among available passers, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds that the two sides have discussed a contract (on Twitter).

The 34-year-old Cutler, who retired from football in May after receiving limited interest as a free agent and then signed with FOX Sports, has a good relationship with Gase from their time in Chicago in 2015. Then the Bears’ offensive coordinator, Gase helped Cutler to one of his best seasons, in which he completed 64.4 percent of passes, averaged 7.58 yards per attempt and threw 21 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions.

Whether Cutler joins Gase in Miami will largely boil down to the severity of Tannehill’s injury, which will either keep him out for several weeks or sideline him for the entire season. Cutler would reportedly only put his broadcasting career on hold to join the Dolphins as a full-time starter, so a less serious diagnosis for Tannehill might lead the Dolphins to look elsewhere for help under center.

One possibility could be Browns veteran Brock Osweiler, who isn’t a lock to make a roster that also includes rookie DeShone Kizer and second-year man Cody Kessler. Osweiler worked under Gase as a backup in Denver from 2012-14, when the latter served as the team’s quarterbacks coach and then O-coordinator, and developed immense respect for the coach. Gase is “brilliant” and “a tremendous coach,” Osweiler told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Thanks to the close relationship between Osweiler and Gase, not to mention the strong likelihood that Kizer will start for the Browns, the Dolphins will probably inquire about an Osweiler trade, writes Cabot. It’s unclear whether Osweiler, after struggling mightily last year in Houston, would overtake Tannehill’s main backup, Matt Moore, or sit behind Moore on Miami’s depth chart.

The 32-year-old Moore acquitted himself well while filling in late last season for an injured Tannehill, when he helped the Dolphins finish 2-1 to post a 10-6 record and earn their first playoff berth since 2008. Gase lightly endorsed Moore on Friday, telling reporters (including Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today): “Right now, Matt is our quarterback. We’ll see where we go from there because I’ve got to figure out what’s going on with Ryan. And then we’ll make a decision after that.”

There’s “no timetable” for a decision on Tannehill, Gase added, but the Dolphins are going to have to take action soon with the regular season just over a month away.

Dolphins Reach Out To Jay Cutler

August 4th, 2017 at 1:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are already looking for insurance in the event that Ryan Tannehill has to miss games. The team reached out to former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald.

After finding a tepid market this spring, Cutler retired from football and joined the NFL on FOX’s broadcast team. He indicated that he was most likely done playing, but he could maybe be persuaded to return if he can jump in with a potential playoff team like the Dolphins.

Of course, Cutler and coach Adam Gase have some shared history. Gase was Cutler’s offensive coordinator in 2015 when the QB threw 25 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. It turns out Gase personally reached out to Cutler shortly after Tannehill suffered his injury.

Coach Adam Gase has been in contact with Cutler personally the pasty two days as the two men have worked on rekindling a relationship that helped Cutler throw 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2015 when he was the starting QB for Chicago and Gase was the offensive coordinator

The Dolphins have reached out to “multiple” QBs, according to Salguero, but Cutler is the most prominent one of the bunch so far. That probably means that Colin Kaepernick has not been contacted. Other noteworthy available QBs include Robert Griffin III, Christian Ponder, and Shaun Hill.

Now that Cutler is in play for Miami, one has to wonder if the Dolphins might also try and lure CBS broadcaster Tony Romo out of retirement.

Jay Cutler Interested In Dolphins

August 3rd, 2017 at 6:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After encountering a tepid market for his services in free agency this year, longtime quarterback Jay Cutler elected to walk away from football in May and pursue a career in broadcasting. Three months later, the 34-year-old is having second thoughts. If Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill‘s left knee injury proves to be major, Cutler would be willing to sign with the team as a full-time starter, reports Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com.

Miami is the only team for which Cutler would consider resuming his NFL career, and he’s not coming back if it means sitting on the bench, per Darlington. The Dolphins haven’t considered signing him yet, adds Darlington, but Cutler already has a good relationship with head coach Adam Gase. The two worked together to positive results in 2015, Gase’s only season as the Bears’ offensive coordinator. That year will go down as Cutler’s last productive campaign if he doesn’t leave the FOX broadcasting booth to return to the gridiron.

A potential Cutler pursuit will be moot if Tannehill’s knee doesn’t end up being a problem. Since he left practice Thursday, optimistic and pessimistic reports have surfaced regarding Tannehill’s status. The 29-year-old missed the tail end of last season with a partially torn left ACL, and while the severity of the injury he suffered Thursday in the same knee is unknown, Dolphins officials do regard it as a setback, writes Darlington. Moreover, there are some within the organization who believe Tannehill should go under the knife to fully repair his knee once and for all. If that were to happen, Tannehill likely wouldn’t play at all in 2017, which could set up a Cutler-Gase reunion and leave FOX short a color commentator.

Jay Cutler, Jets Couldn’t Line Up Visit

June 9th, 2017 at 8:41am CST by Zachary Links

Jay Cutler is going from the field to the broadcast booth this year, but before announcing his retirement, Cutler explored his options. The Jets were among the clubs to reach out to Cutler after he was released by the Bears, but timing was ultimately an issue and the two sides never wound up meeting, the quarterback tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (audio link).

“The stars didn’t really align for me to get out there,” Cutler said (transcript via PFT). “By the time I was scheduled to get out there, my buddy Josh ]McCown] had taken a visit and they worked something out with him. It all worked out. I’m happy for him.”

When the Jets reached out to Cutler, the quarterback was up front with the team and said that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue playing. While Cutler was on the fence, the Jets shifted focus to McCown. Reading between the lines, it sounds like Cutler might have continued playing in 2017 had things timed out better between him and Gang Green.

Cutler reportedly also had “strong” interest in joining the Texans, but things didn’t work out on that front either. For now, Cutler’s playing days are in the rear view mirror as he gears up for his new career with FOX, but it’s clear that the QB still has some desire to play. If the right opportunity comes along for Cutler in the next year or two, it seems possible that he’ll listen.

Jay Cutler Had “Strong” Interest In Texans

May 8th, 2017 at 7:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Before he signed with FOX to become a color commentator last week, longtime NFL quarterback Jay Cutler had “strong” interest in playing for the Texans, sources told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

While the Texans did kick the tires on Cutler after the Bears released him earlier this offseason, they elected against signing him, mainly because of Bill O’Brien. The head coach has a higher opinion of Tom Savage, who’s in line to open the season as the Texans’ starter. Long after considering Cutler, Houston traded up in the first round of last month’s draft to select former Clemson star Deshaun Watson, who they hope will serve as their long-term answer under center.

On the heels of an injury-marred 2016 in Chicago, the Jets were the only team that seriously mulled adding the 34-year-old Cutler as a stopgap. Cutler was reportedly uninterested in joining a rebuilding club, though, and prospective contenders didn’t want any part of him as a starter. Because of that, Cutler’s now a member of the media on what he calls a “permanent” basis.

Jay Cutler: Career Change Is “Permanent”

May 5th, 2017 at 4:27pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After news broke Friday that Jay Cutler was joining the NFL on FOX, there was skepticism on whether he was committed to leaving his playing career behind for good. But the longtime starting quarterback tried to put those doubts to rest later Friday, telling Waddle & Silvy of WMVP-AM in Chicago that his exit from the field is indeed “permanent” (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). At the same time, the former Bronco and Bear acknowledged that he’ll miss playing when the season inches closer.

“There is zero doubt in my mind that there is going to be some regret,” Cutler said. “I have no doubt in my mind come the middle of August, September there is going to be that itch to play. There is going to be part of me that I know I can still do it. But that’s now how the cards played out, and that’s not where we are at. I just don’t feel comfortable with a situation in August or September of jumping back into it, even if that situation arises, which I don’t think it’s going to.”

In an ideal world for the 34-year-old Cutler, he would still be a starting quarterback for someone, but he didn’t encounter much interest in free agency after a less-than-stellar, injury-shortened 2016 campaign. Cutler appeared in just five games last season in his eighth and final year in Chicago, which went an even 51-51 in his starts. Cutler would not have considered ending his playing career had the Bears kept him, nor would he have pondered a broadcasting job, he told WMVP-AM.

“There’s no way in hell I’m doing this,” Cutler thought when FOX first approached him. “This is literally the last thing I want to do.”

Cutler came around on the idea, though, and is now set to join play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt and color commentator Charles Davis in a three-man booth next season. He’s the second big-name signal-caller to abruptly give up playing in favor of broadcasting this offseason, joining former Cowboy and-now CBS color announcer Tony Romo.

Jay Cutler Retires, Signs With FOX

May 5th, 2017 at 8:31am CST by Zachary Links

Former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is retiring in order to pursue a new career. He’s joining FOX’s NFL team, as Peter Schrager of NFL Network tweets. Cutler will be in a three-man booth alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and fellow color commentator Charles Davis.

Before deciding to go to FOX, Cutler had real discussions with the Jets and less-promising talks with the Texans, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. In a statement issued to Adam Jahns of the Sun Times, Cutler admits that he did not find a ton of interest on the open market this offseason.

“I don’t know if retirement is the right word; I don’t feel that anyone ever really retires from the NFL. You are either forced to leave, or you lose the desire to do what’s required to keep going. I’m in between those situations at this point in my life,” Cutler said.

Not everyone is convinced that Cutler is done playing football, however. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (video link) gets the sense that he would get back on the field if a team offered him a starting job and starter money to go along with it. In theory, the three-man booth protects FOX against Cutler leaving to join a team midseason because Burkhardt and Davis could move forward as a two-man team.

Cutler wasn’t necessarily warm and fuzzy towards the media during his playing days, so it will be interesting to see him in the broadcast booth. However, Cutler has extensive experience playing in the NFC and that should help his transition to FOX. Those close to Cutler also say that he’s well-suited for TV.

“I think Jay Cutler would be on point as an analyst,” guard Kyle Long told Jahns. “He’s one of the most cerebral guys I’ve ever played with, one of the most well-spoken guys I’ve played with. Whether the public knows it or not, he actually is a funny, nice, cool guy. [Media members] have seen that side of him sometimes. You’ve also seen Jay when he’s having maybe not the best day. Unfortunately, that’s kind of the all-encompassing stigma there. But I think if you see him in a suit and he’s got his hair done and he’s got that beard lined up, people will fall in love with Jay Cutler again.”

In his 11 NFL seasons for the Broncos and Bears, Cutler amassed a career 68-71 record. With the Bears, he went 52-52 across eight seasons (including the playoffs). His best season came in 2008 for Denver when he threw for more than 4,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. That season earned Cutler his sole career Pro Bowl selection. In 2016, he made five starts and was a far cry from the best version of himself.fre

Jay Cutler May Retire To Pursue TV Career

May 4th, 2017 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

Former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is thinking about a career change. Unable to garner interest from teams as a starter, Cutler is exploring a move to television, TV sources and people with knowledge of Cutler’s thinking tell Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.

Cutler’s camp has talked with TV execs about the possible switch and he auditioned for FOX, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com tweets. It’s not clear if he has started talking contract with any network, but he is at least serious about making the jump.

Recently, agent Bus Cook insisted that Cutler does not plan on retiring. However, it sounds like the 34-year-old would rather go the Tony Romo route than to serve as someone’s backup or simply wait by the phone for when a quarterback gets injured.

In his 11 NFL seasons for the Broncos and Bears, Cutler amassed a career 68-71 record. His best season came in 2008 for Denver when he threw for more than 4,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. That season earned Cutler his sole career Pro Bowl selection. In 2016, he made five starts and was a far cry from the best version of himself.

Agent: Jay Cutler Has No Plans To Retire

April 25th, 2017 at 7:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While previous reports have indicated otherwise, free agent quarterback Jay Cutler does not intend to retire, his agent Bus Cook tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Facebook link).

“Jay wants to play football,” Cook said. “He never has mentioned retirement to me. Jay Cutler, as far as I know, is ready to play and wants to play, and his skill set is as good as any quarterback in the league.”

Cutler, 34 on Saturday, has only been directly linked to two clubs this offseason: the Jets and the Texans. Gang Green reached out to Cutler in mid-March, but quickly lost interest after signing fellow veteran quarterback Josh McCown. Houston, meanwhile, expressed “mild interest” in Cutler at some point in recent weeks, but head coach Bill O’Brien reportedly prefers incumbent Tom Savage to Cutler.

That no team has been overly enthused about Cutler is unsurprising given both his likely salary demands and the results of his 2016 campaign, during which he was hampered by injuries and managed a Total Quarterback Rating of just 33.1 in five starts. Still, Cutler ranks as PFR’s No. 1 free agent quarterback, and he figures to land a contract at some point (if he wants one).