In what could be a last-ditch effort to conjure up a viable trade partner, the Chicago Bears have put out the word that they essentially won’t be trading quarterback Jay Cutler.
Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that the Bears “fully expect” Cutler to be their quarterback in 2015.
The news comes after the Bears reportedly made Cutler available via trade, with no apparent takers. They also met with former Cutler backup Josh McCown at the Scouting Combine.
The same dilemma that prompted the Bears to give Cutler a bad contract (for them) in 2014 makes it hard for them to get rid of him now: If he’s not the quarterback, who will be?
Cutler’s deal gave him $38 million fully guaranteed at signing, which included his 2015 salary. Soon, another $10 million becomes fully guaranteed.
From coach John Fox’s perspective, Cutler is still better than many of the quarterbacks Fox has coached. If Fox could get to the playoffs and beat the Steelers with Tim Tebow, maybe Fox can make it work with Cutler.