If You’re A Bears Fan, Be Nice To Jay Cutler

OK, so my Aaron Rodgers jinx didn’t work (although it did seem to slow him down…he had a QB rating under 60, didn’t he?) and now the Chicago Bears are done playing football for the year. Yet as painful as it was to watch the Green Bay Packers stomp the Bears in their own stadium yesterday, I can’t even remember what happened in the game anymore because all I can hear is…JAY CUTLER JAY CUTLER JAY CUTLER JAY CUTLER

In case you haven’t heard all of the screaming, here’s the problem: Jay Cutler, the superstar quarterback brought to Chicago to finally stabilize the Bears offense, sat out almost all of the second half of the NFC Championship Game. Immediately, fans were furious. The media was furious. Even other NFL players were furious. They all said the same thing, “Jay Cutler quit on his team and let everyone down in the biggest game of his career.” 

Enough already, people! Get your facts straight. The coaches and medical team took Cutler out of the game. Cutler didn’t even make the decision himself! The final word after today’s MRI is that Cutler suffered a Grade II tear to his MCL, a knee ligament that helps hold the entire knee together. Do fans really want their franchise quarterback running back out onto the field with limited mobility behind an offensive line that gave up the most sacks in the NFL this season?

Look, I’m a Bears fan. I understand being upset that the Bears lost a home playoff game to their arch-rivals, but don’t take it out on a quarterback who will be with the team for many more years and many more passing touchdowns. Take a deep breath, Bears fans, and take a stand for your quarterback. Cutler had one bad day. In case you forgot, he also led the team to the NFC North title this season and had them on the verge of the Super Bowl. Next year, he will get another chance to do the same. At least he SHOULD get that chance…if he doesn’t get run out of town by a bunch of angry fans first.

Take a cue from the Chicago Bears. From top to bottom, the organization defended their QB. His teammates defended him. His coach defended him. His general manager defended him. Would they have done that if they really believed he quit on their team? I doubt it. But that didn’t stop current and former players and tons of Bears fans from piling on Cutler. They questioned everything from his toughness to his body language. So it really comes down to who you trust: a bunch of people who were watching things unfold on TV or the guys who have been playing alongside their QB since August?

I’ll take the guys who know what was really going on. Get well soon, Jay. Training camp is only a few short months away…