Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, in a Wednesday interview with The Waddle & Silvy Show of ESPN 1000 in Chicago, talked about his former quarterback in Denver, the man who’s the current quarterback of the Bears.
And he said things that the folks in Chicago should be glad to hear, for the most part.
“I’m a Jay Cutler fan,” Shanahan said. “I can just talk about what Jay Cutler did for Mike Shanahan not exactly his experience in Chicago. But [he’s a] Pro Bowl player, [he] had a good supporting cast around him, [he’s] a worker, very smart, handles himself like you want, I thought he was just getting better and better. Obviously there are going to be some road blocks for every quarterback in the league and he’s going through a tough situation right now, but my opinion is he’ll work through it and Chicago will be very proud to have him as their quarterback.”
Shanahan also has no issue with Cutler’s demeanor, which has been interpreted as aloof and nonchalant. “I like the way he handles himself,” Shanahan said. “I like the way he competes, I like him in a day in day out basis and I think people will see his personality in time and I hope it’s a short time with a little success.”
Finally, Shanahan discussed the importance of having a strong supporting cast and a solid offensive system. “I don’t care what quarterback you have, you have to have a good supporting cast and not only a good supporting cast but you got to have a system that really relates to the players and that’s what you’re working for as a head coach in the NFL, to put that all together,” Shanahan said.
Of course, that will make some Bears fans wonder whether offensive coordinator Mike Martz will be using a “system that really relates to the players.” Based on the system Martz has used in the past, it’s possible that the answer is “no.”