22 games into the Jay Cutler era, some Bears fans have had enough.
David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune writes a column Thursday in which he wonders whether Cutler could wind up back with Mike Shanahan in Washington. Apparently, fans have started dreaming about the Bears signing hometown boy Donovan McNabb as a free agent and subsequently shipping Cutler to D.C. (The Bears would also have to acquire Rex Grossman for the two minute drill.)
Haugh makes it clear this is just a fantasy, and not remotely likely. It’s way too early for this sort of thing. But the piece took a number of shots at Cutler’s ability to lead a team, which I found more interesting than random trade speculation.
1. “Cutler’s unrelenting immaturity too often undermines his immense talent. And when he loses focus, he can lose teammates and games,” Haugh writes.
2. He calls McNabb the anti-Cutler in terms of charisma.
3. Cutler “has no leadership skills.” Haugh has to be getting this from those inside the organization. He even takes a shot at Cutler’s girlfriend, which seems a little out of place in an otherwise engrossing column that accuses Cutler of immaturity.
I can’t help but think of Stefan Fatsis’ great book A Few Seconds of Panic and some interviews I heard from the author after it came out. Cutler’s aloof lack of leadership was painted in much the same way.
Five years into Cutler’s career, the 27-year-old’s ability to lead has apparently stagnated in much the same manner as his quarterback rating.