Cutler settling in with Dolphins after flirting with Jets

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jay Cutler could have ended up in the other huddle on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins quarterback was still weighing his playing options during the offseason after being released by the Chicago Bears in March. That’s when the New York Jets came calling, and Cutler listened.

“We were just feeling each other out,” Cutler recalled. “It wasn’t aggressive. It wasn’t super vague. It was just feeling each other out and it just didn’t work out.”

That’s because the Jets opted instead to sign journeyman quarterback Josh McCown to be their starter, canceling any potential visit by Cutler to New York.

“Yes, we had a couple of visits and then they got changed, but for numerous reasons,” Cutler said. “And then they were able to sign Josh, and that was kind of the end of that. So it worked out for myself and for Josh.”

McCown, who played with Cutler in Chicago from 2011-13, ended up becoming the starter for the Jets (0-2) — easily beating out youngsters Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty for the job.

Meanwhile, Cutler had to wait a while to get back on the field. After the brief flirtation with the Jets, the veteran QB had no enticing deal come his way. Instead, he decided to retire and join FOX Sports as a TV analyst.

But then Ryan Tannehill went down for the season during training camp, and the Dolphins (1-0) needed a quarterback. So, coach Adam Gase — Cutler’s offensive coordinator in 2015 — reached out to his former QB .

“I just asked him if he was interested, and he said, ‘Yes,’” Gase said. “Really, I think his biggest (thing was) kind of taking a step back at the time because everything happened so fast was just to make sure he felt like he could really come back without a spring and a training camp.”

So far, so good.

In the Dolphins’ season opener last week, Cutler was 24 of 34 for 230 yards and a touchdown to help Miami beat the Los Angeles Chargers 19-17 .

“He looks like he never left,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “He looks quick, he’s very accurate, very smart with the football and they do a good job.”