It's Over for Cutler in Chicago as Trestman Puts Him in His Place: the Bench

Jay Cutler was benched for Jimmy Clausen. Please read that sentence carefully. Cutler...benched...for Clausen. That's like Chris Rock losing a starting gig to Dane Cook.

The news that Clausen will start Sunday against the Detroit Lions was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, and when I saw it on Twitter, initially I thought his account had been hacked. "No, no. This can't be true." But it was, and it is. And...wow.

It's over for Cutler in Chicago. What I mean by that is while his expensive contract may force the Bears to keep him—he's the highest-paid offensive player in the NFL and will earn over $15 million in guaranteed cash next year—a player does not recover from being benched in favor of Jimmy Freaking Clausen.For Cutler to sit just 14 games into a megacontract means there will be a total housecleaning in Chicago. Cutler usually only gets coaches fired. This time, a general manager could be gone as well.

Throughout Cutler's career, coaches always believed: I can change him. This is the Jeff George Theorem. It's right up there with Hawking radiation and relativity. The more you rely on Cutler, the more you think you can change him, the more you fall into the abyss.

Remember when all we heard was how Marc Trestman was a quarterback guru? Even Cutler thought so. "It's a great hire," Cutler told ChicagoBears.com after the coach was brought in. "I couldn't be more excited. I've talked to guys around the league and did my own research on him. He's an offensive mind, a great person and a guy that's going to come in and hopefully lead us to many victories in the future."    ck-friendly system and I can't wait to get started with him.

And by understanding quarterbacks, Cutler meant he caused Trestman to think longingly of the Alouettes.

The Bears may be forced to keep Cutler next season, but his value to the team is gone. Players in that locker room, who are likely already dubious, will be more so. His credibility in Chicago is done. Cutler is a coach-killer, but coaches have always been enamored with Cutler's arm, even to the point where that arm strangled their patience and careers. So while Cutler will get yet another coach obliterated—Trestman is gone after this year—at least on his way out the door, Trestman did the right thing.Finally, a coach who realized that Cutler can't play this game at an elite level. Because he can't. He never has. He never will.

In the past, whenever I've written that Cutler is overrated and uncoachable, a flood of tweets and emails and message-board posts would point to his arm strength. "He can throw a football through a brick wall," I'd be told. The problem is, the pass would be picked off before it reached the first brick.

Cutler isn't good. It's beyond the "Jay George" stuff. If all it took was a strong arm, George would be in the Hall of Fame.

What the Bears never understood until now is that Cutler lacks all of the other aspects it takes to play the position. The leadership, the dedication, the work ethic—everything that makes Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson so good.


Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2303527-its-over-for-cutler-in-chicago-as-trestman-puts-him-in-his-place-the-bench