When Jay Cutler “retired” in May to join the Fox broadcast booth, he evidently did so with mixed emotions. From all indications, he wanted to keep playing, ideally for the Bears (whose colors he donned for the last eight years, but whose signing of Mike Glennon from free agency sealed his departure), and then for any franchise on the market for quarterbacks (a not-unreasonable sentiment given the relative dearth of competition). As he explored his on-field options, however, it became clear that he wasn’t in demand; conventional wisdom saw him being passed over for less-talented competition due to his reluctance to assume leadership mantles, his dry personality, and his seeming penchant for snatching defeat from the throes of victory. And so he accepted his fate. “You are either forced to leave or you love the desire to do what’s required to keep going. I’m in between those situations at this point in my life.”
Fast forward three months later, and Cutler is back as a starter in the National Football League. He had been prepared for the possibility, arranging a deal with Fox that allowed him to lace up his cleats on short notice, and when the Dolphins came calling, he took it. After some initial reluctance, he was persuaded by a confluence of events and a combination of factors; as cushy as his gig behind the microphone appeared to be, the prospect of filling in for Ryan Tannehill, of leading a confident team to the playoffs, and of improving his reputation in the process proved too much to turn down. It certainly didn’t hurt that he was dangled a $10-million contract to take snaps for a coach who was previously his offensive coordinator in arguably his best season with the Bears.
Needless to say, the Dolphins wooed Cutler because they believe they can make waves, not just in the Patriots-dominated AFC East, but through their entire campaign for the Super Bowl championship. Initial prognoses from pundits don’t quite proffer the same view, but don’t tell that to Adam Gase, who is counting on recreating the magic with his former charge. Never mind that the latter is 34, coming off an injury-riddled season, and has just a month’s worth of preseason matches to get back to game shape. At the very least, he feels he has latched on to a marked improvement from backup Matt Moore, who had been ready to take over from Tannehill.
Will Cutler be a force in his second go-round with Gase? The Dolphins say yes, although it bears noting that solid numbers at center don’t automatically translate to Ws. Among other things, critics point to the Bears’ record when they teamed up in 2015; for all his gaudy numbers, the blue and orange fizzled out with a six-and-10 slate. He’ll be placed in position to succeed, but will even his best be good enough? Only time will tell.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
