Unable to find an acceptable on-field fit, ex-Bears quarterback Jay Cutler might turn to the broadcast booth.
Seriously.
Cutler — whose petulant media appearances have, in recent years, turned into more mature outings — is exploring a TV career.
“I think Jay Cutler would be on point as an analyst,” guard Kyle Long said Thursday. “He’s one of the most cerebral guys I’ve ever played with, one of the most well-spoken guys I’ve played with.
“Whether the public knows it or not, he actually is a funny, nice, cool guy. [Media members] have seen that side of him sometimes. You’ve also seen Jay when he’s having maybe not the best day. Unfortunately, that’s kind of the all-encompassing stigma there.
“But I think if you see him in a suit and he’s got his hair done and he’s got that beard lined up, people will fall in love with Jay Cutler again.”
Whether Cutler might be a fit in studio or as an in-game color commentator — he auditioned last week to replace 49ers general manager John Lynch in the latter role at Fox, according to ESPN — is unclear.
Also murky is whether he’s willing to retire. Cutler — who had labrum surgery on his right shoulder in December and was cut with by the Bears with a failed-physical designation in March — has never come off the bench as a pro. Some at the owners meeting in late March believed Cutler would quit rather than go somewhere with no chance to start.
TV rumblings could be a leverage play, too, in case an interested team believed it was negotiating against itself for Cutler.
Cutler’s most noteworthy move this offseason might have come in Mexico, where wife Kristin Cavallari famously posted a picture of his bare backside on social media.
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