Jay Cutler’s agent refutes reports of his retirement

Jay Cutler isn’t done being an NFL quarterback. His agent, Bus Cook, wanted to make that very clear in a statement to ESPN.

“He never has mentioned retirement to me,” Cook said.

“Jay Cutler, as far as I know, is ready to play and wants to play, and his skill set is as good as any quarterback in the league.”

Cook’s words are a clear message intended for QB-needy teams before the NFL draft, which begins Thursday. The rumblings in certain league circles are that Cutler won’t play in 2017 because of the lack of ideal options at this point in his career.

There also have been national reports suggesting Cutler will retire.

But interest in Cutler could change after the draft as teams address their shortcomings and prepare for their training camps, where injuries always occur.

In general, it’s not a strong year for quarterbacks in the draft because there’s no Andrew Luck-type prospect. But three or four quarterbacks still are expected to be drafted in the first round.

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