The Chicago Bears announced Wednesday that quarterback and human embodiment of the color taupe, Jay Cutler, was headed to a spot on the bench for the final two games of the season, ostensibly to audition career-backup Jimmy Clausen, but more importantly, where the direst injury Cutler is apt to suffer is a splinter in his backside.
With Cutler safely stashed away and his future in the Windy City looking more bleak with each passing day, the conversation now turns to whether or not the team will look to move their former franchise QB, and what, if any teams would be interested in acquiring his services.
Cutler's deal - seven years, $126 million, $15.5 million of which is guaranteed for next year - carries a dead money value of $19.5 million were they to release him in the offseason. Obviously, the team would much prefer to move him and his unwieldy contract for picks and/or players as opposed to simply allowing him to walk away and eat almost $20 million in dead money.
Luckily for the Bears brass, there are a number of quarterback-needy teams who may think they can take one team's trash quarterback and turn it into their own stale version of pigskin potpourri.
Let's take a look...
New York Jets
Geno Smith has been an abject failure. He's thrown bone-headed interception after bone-headed interception, shown little to no pocket feel and a complete inability to competently run an NFL offense. Mike Vick, the aging and always injured stopgap, probably won't stick around if (when) Rex Ryan is fired.
Cutler and the New York media may not be the best fit, but for a team with little to no shot to land the first pick in the draft and Oregon quarterback, Marcus Mariota (and, let's face it, Jameis Winston might be even worse in New York) a deal for Cutler could be the smartest move for a team looking to start fresh.
Tennessee Titans
Jake Locker was put on IR recently, ending his season and, most likely, his tenure with the team. Zach Mettenberger has garnered some praise, but certainly hasn't played anywhere close to well enough that you feel comfortable naming him the unquestioned starter going into next season. Charlie Whitehurst and the recently signed Jordan Palmer could be replaced with blocking dummies and no one would notice.
Depending on eventual draft order and their ability to get at either Mariota or Winston, a move for Cutler, who played his college ball at Vanderbilt, could make a lot of sense.
Buffalo Bills
Unless you think E.J. Manuel is suddenly going to turn into the franchise signal caller Doug Marrone once thought he could be then decided he wasn't, 14 starts into his career, or Kyle "Don't Call Me Neckbeard" Orton is due for career resurgence, then this might actually make a lot of sense.
Yes, Cutler is flawed mechanically and a poor leader. But he's also incredibly athletically gifted.
The Bills, despite the wasted Manuel pick, are a team on the rise. You could even say they're only a quarterback away from serious contention. Did you see what that defense - missing star linebacker Kiko Alonso - did to quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the vaunted Green Bay Packers' offense?
If Cutler, already used to playing in less-than-ideal conditions, came to northern New York, he wouldn't need to, or hopefully asked to, take the team on his back.
Add in an offense with a bevy of weapons - Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Fred Jackson and the perennially underutilized C.J. Spiller - and it's easy to see the Bills, with the potential addition of Cutler and a couple of key pieces on the offensive line, becoming a legitimate threat in the AFC East.
