Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher doesn’t want to hear any criticism of Jay Cutler for sitting out the second half of the NFC Championship Game with a knee injury. So Urlacher better avoid any large gatherings of NFL players -- because plenty of players are questioning Cutler’s toughness.
Here’s a sample of what some current and former NFL players said on Twitter as they watched Culter stand on the sideline while the Bears lost to the Packers:
* Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew wrote, “All I’m saying is that he can finish the game on a hurt knee... I played the whole season on one.”
* Former NFL lineman and current ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth wrote, “As a guy how had 20 knee surgeries you’d have to drag me out on a stretcher to Leave a championship game!”
* Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett wrote, “If I’m on chicago team jay cutler has to wait till me and the team shower get dressed and leave before he comes in the locker room!”
* Jaguars linebacker Kirk Morrison wrote, “Jay Cutler better go put some Tussin on that knee and get back out there.”
* Deion Sanders wrote, “Im telling u in the playoffs u must drag me off the field. All the medicine in pro lockerooms this dude comes out! I apologize bear fans! . . . Folks i never question a players injury but i do question a players heart.
Even one of Cutler’s fellow quarterbacks, Oakland’s Bruce Gradkowski, got in on the action, writing that he once played with two torn MCLs and adding, “Is cutler still ur starter next year? Did the players give up on him?”
Oh, and in Chicago, they’re already burning Cutler jerseys.