Former Chicago Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler Signed A One-Year Deal With The Miami Dolphins. Photo Credit: Mike Morbeck – Under Creative Commons License
Jay Cutler‘s stint in the broadcast booth is officially over before it began. NFL.com is reporting that the former Chicago Bears quarterback has signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, ending his retirement a mere two weeks into training camp.
The #Dolphins are signing QB Jay Cutler to a 1-year contract worth $10M, source said. There are incentives in there, too.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 6, 2017
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the incentives could reach as much as $3 million.
The move is a simple and understandable one from both parties as Head Coach Adam Gase and Cutler will be reunited after their one season together in Chicago in 2015. It was a season in which Cutler had, statistically, one of his best years as an NFL quarterback. In that season he threw for 3,659 yards with 21 touchdowns and a 64.4 completion percentage. His 11 interceptions were one of the lowest of his career when playing more than 15 games. In Ryan Tannehill‘s first season with Gase last year he threw for 2,995 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 13 games played before he went down with a knee injury.
When Tannehill hit the turf with a knee injury a few days ago, Gase expressed interest in signing his former quarterback, and Cutler was primarily his only target, although the name Colin Kaepernick loomed in speculation.
There are question marks about Cutler’s health, however. Last season in Chicago, he played in only five games before exiting with an injury, which eventually led to his retirement as the Bears were looking to move in a new direction.
Cutler enters the 2017 season at 34-years-old and should have a lot left in the tank if he finds the passion to play again. The Windy City seemed to take the air out of his sails as he was “misunderstood” for most of his career. A new start in Miami could be a breath of fresh air in revitalizing a career for an extreme talent that has never been able to put it all together.
The Tannehill situation is still a murky one as no season-ending surgery has been announced, but one would assume that his 2017 campaign is finished. If Cutler plays well, Tannehill’s time in Miami could be finished as well. This season was playing out to be a make-or-break year for Tannehill as it was his second-year in Gase’s system, and sixth year in the NFL.
No official date or time has been announced on when Cutler will report to Dolphins training camp, or if he will be available for the teams first preseason game.