During a question and answer session with fans on Tuesday afternoon, Chicago Bears GM Phil Emery called quarterback Jay Cutler an elite quarterback.
“Jay Cutler is a winning quarterback in this league and no matter how you analyze the history of quarterbacks in the NFL, if you have a winning record you are an elite player at that position. I’ll say it again: Jay has enormous skills and he continues to improve in all areas as a football player. I know he has some throws he would like to have back, but all of our players have had plays that they would like to have back.”
That’s interesting criteria Emery uses to determine who’s elite at the QB position. Cutler’s career record is 59-52, but he’s only 1-1 in the postseason. For a guy who was drafted in 2006, only having 2 postseason starts is pretty telling. He currently has a 94.4 passer rating this season, which would be the first of his career above 90 if it holds. I’m not claiming that passer rating is the end-all be-all stat to determine who’s a good QB, but it’s at least a starting point, and not having even a single full season in the 90’s is tough to defend considering guys like Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees have each had numerous seasons in the 100’s.
In response to Emery’s comments about Jay during a radio interview on 87.7 FM The Game in Chicago, former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was not as generous.
“Financially, he is one of the elite guys in the NFL … he just hasn’t produced like an elite quarterback. You look at the Brady’s, the Manning’s, the Rodgers’, the Brees’, those guys win every year, even with no one around them. Rodgers has no offensive line. He wins. Brady has no receivers. He wins. And you look at Jay. He’s got Brandon (Marshall), Alshon (Jeffery), Matt (Forte), this great offensive line, Martellus Bennett, and they can’t seem to put it together for some reason. I’m not sure if that’s his fault, but for some reason they just can’t figure it out.”
I can’t argue with any of that.
Hey Jay, Urlacher has had critical comments about you dating all the way back to 2009 when you first joined the Bears. Care to comment using words that aren’t yours but fit the meme?
That-a boy.
[Tribune]
