Chicago, IL — The Chicago Bears decided not to let soon to be free agent quarterback Jay Cutler test the open market by agreeing to a new deal that expires in 2020. Cutler who will be nearly 38 when this new deal expires, might have signed his final contract in the NFL especially if the Bears honor the entire deal.
While the amount has yet to be disclosed, one can assume that it won’t be cheap since the going rate for even a pedestrian quarterback is astronomical and as with any time an athlete re-signs with their team it is seldom for less money. Cutler’s last deal that’s just about to expire was for five years and 50.37 million which worked out to be just a hair over 10 million per year. Since he is 30 years old now, it is also likely that the deal will be front loaded so both Cutler can get his money sooner and the Bears don’t have to pay him a massive amount of money when he is in twilight of his career.
Cutler has some legitimate weapons around him in the way of wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery whom has emerged as one of the new stars of the NFL. So if Cutler is able to stay healthy all season long, he could rack up massive stats and the NFC North crown a few times before his time in the windy city is up.
All and all, it is a smart move in keeping Cutler if the money is right since the Bears will not have to focus on selecting a quarterback with an early draft selection which could have came at pick 15 or even earlier if they decided to trade up and leapfrog other teams that need one direly.