This just in: the Chicago Bears released Jay Cutler on Thursday, and half of the team's fanbase (probably more) couldn't be happier. The spectacularly inconsistent Bears quarterback was a source of hope and despair during his eight seasons with the team, representing the best and worst qualities of a franchise that has been unable to find much, if any, success during that time.
Cutler's departure makes official the speculation that the Bears would be moving in a new direction at QB (hello, Mike Glennon), perhaps the hardest position on an NFL team to get right. For many, Cutler was the solution to the team's storied quarterback woes when former Bears general manager Jerry Angelo traded for the promising young star in 2009. But injuries, inconsistent play and poor coaching plagued the Cutler era.
The Bears' only trip to the postseason in that time came during the 2010 season, when the team lost 21-14 to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. Cutler was forced to leave that contest early with a knee injury, setting off a wave of injuries and fan ire that followed the beleaguered quarterback throughout his time as a Bear.
Still, Cutler was no slouch. Over the course of 102 regular season games, he became the team leader in touchdown passes (154), completion percentage (60.2), passing yards (23,443), total completions (2,020) and quarterback rating (85.2). In total, Cutler ends his Bears career with 14 franchise records.
While the Bears settle in for a few more rebuilding years, let's thank Cutler for all the laughs we had while making fun of his dopey, cigarette-dangling grin.
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