The Bears are “actively seeking” a trade partner for quarterback Jay Cutler, ESPN reported Tuesday.
With the NFL Scouting Combine next week and the new league year set to open March 9, the time has arrived for teams to start driving conversations and potential interest in players that no longer fit their plans.
Cutler’s 2016 season ended after just five games due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. Bears General Manager Ryan Pace met with Cutler in January and gave the usual answer about nothing being decided and the team taking its time to make the best decision about Cutler’s future.
Most of the guaranteed money on Cutler’s contract has already been paid, so the Bears could move him without sustaining a major salary cap hit if they can find a suitable deal. Cutler threw a career-high 28 touchdown passes in 2014 but also led the NFL with 18 interceptions that season. He had four touchdowns and five interceptions before the injury last season.
Cutler, 33, has already been linked via the rumor mill to the 49ers. New 49ers General Manager John Lynch is a former teammate of Cutler’s, while new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s father, Mike, was the head coach of the Broncos when Cutler was drafted.