Warning: This column is going to come off like a rant — because it is a rant. Very few sports stories make me as angry at pro athletes as the recent news about NFL quarterback Jay Cutler, and I felt the need to take this opportunity to remind pro athletes that they need to behave like adults and role models, not children.
Cutler should be a very happy man these days. Somehow, the cocky quarterback — who has been in the league for all of three years — forced his way out of Denver by crying about how his new coach was thinking about trading him. He ended up in Chicago, where he not only has a good supporting cast, but he even will have a decent chance of winning games. He’s a very lucky man that he got his way, but I have very little respect for Cutler these days.
So what if a new coach comes in and publicly thinks about swapping his new quarterback for his old quarterback? Just because Josh McDaniels thought about bringing in Matt Cassel from the Patriots doesn’t mean he thought Cutler was incapable of running the team. Head coaches bring their assistants with them when they go to a new team, so what’s the harm in talking about bringing a quarterback along, too? Cutler should have paid less attention to rumors in the newspaper and focused more on working with his coach to strategize about how to get the Broncos to the playoffs.
Athletes get traded all the time, and handle it the way they should: like professionals. They are paid to go out and do their jobs, and even if they aren’t in the “perfect” situation, they do what they need to do. Football, like all pro sports, is a business. Sometimes, things happen that employees of a business don’t like, but they are forced to deal with it. Cutler must not realize that he is a very highly-paid employee of a company, because he believes he should be able to do exactly what he pleases.
Ironically enough, an athlete that exemplifies the complete opposite traits of Cutler is the quarterback that was minutes away from being traded for Cutler: Jason Campbell of the Washington Redskins. Campbell spoke openly to media and had clear lines of communication with Redskins brass during the reported trade talks, and specifically said that he would not do what Cutler did. Although somewhat cynical in saying that “there’s no loyalty in this game,” Campbell was professional about the situation, which is what sports fans should be able to expect of professional athletes. He was thankful to be a part of his team, like all athletes should be, as they should know that these high-paying jobs are not guaranteed for them.
Cutler took the situation too close to heart. Rather than allow for the situation to be resolved, he simply wasn’t willing to work things out. He wouldn’t answer the phone when McDaniels and team owner Pat Bowlen called to talk to him about the mess Cutler created. How immature is that? Bowlen was right to say in a letter to season ticket holders that Cutler was cast off as a result of insubordination.
This story reminds me so much of the Eli Manning debacle of the 2004 NFL Draft. Manning, who was projected to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, said he would not play for the Chargers if they drafted him. I couldn’t believe Manning said that. How could a kid in his early 20s, who had never played a down in the NFL, make demands about who he would and wouldn’t play for? He, like Cutler, acted like he had earned something by being a highly touted young player. But what they don’t realize is that playing in the NFL is a privilege, not a right.
Cutler has won as many playoff games in the league as I have. Who does he think he is? The only silver lining to come from this story is that Cutler tarnished his reputation by pulling this maneuver and will have questions following him around the rest of his career, like, “Does this guy really want to be here?” He should be praying that his teammates in Chicago accept him and can trust him as a leader, because he has proven himself to be selfish and immature. It’s time for Cutler to stop whining, grow up, play football and do things the right way.
Read More
Scott Stadium selected to host 2026 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships
By Michael Liebermann | 17 hours agoThe biggest event on the college lacrosse calendar will unfold on Grounds.
Abysmal start proves too much to overcome as Virginia exits ACC Tournament early
By Ryan Weiner | 2 days agoIf the Cavaliers make the NCAA Tournament, they cannot afford to play another game like this.
As the Walshes take their final bow, the swimming world pauses
By Xander Tilock | 2 days agoHow could anyone possibly describe the success of this duo?
