Jay Cutler's time in Chicago could be coming to an end.
According to the latest rumblings, Bears head coach John Fox has reportedly had enough with the 11th-year quarterback, and his return to the starting role Sunday against Minnesota may be more about showcasing his wares to potential buyers.
Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Tribune writes:
"Cutler returns to his tired, old starting role Monday night against the Vikings amid the giddy certitude that it soon will be over. Bears coach John Fox may half-heartedly ratchet up a p.r. campaign to try to sell Cutler to a suspicious fan base, but the simple fact is Cutler already might have played his last game for the Bears if Brian Hoyer hadn't been injured.Two different league sources say Fox had told friends he was done with Cutler. The player is coming to the end of the guaranteed money on his contract and can be launched after this season with minimal salary cap impact."
Cutler, for his part, says things are fine between him and Fox.
"There's never been any strain in our relationship," said Cutler, 33. "We're on the same page. We just want to win football games."
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Sunday will be Cutler's first start since getting benched after Week 2 in favor Brian Hoyer, who was recently placed on injured reserve with a broken arm. And that leaves Matt Barkley, who's performed even worse than Cutler. Barkley finished 6-of-15 for 81 yards and two interceptions in Week 7 against Green Bay.
If there's any silver lining for Cutler in this case, it's that he has half the season to audition for one of a multitude of openings in a quarterback-starved league.
