Mike Glennon, Chicago Bears Reportedly Agree to 3-Year Contract

He reportedly asked for and was granted the release on Thursday morning, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Cutler is familiar with the Jets’ new quarterbacks coach, Jeremy Bates, having worked with him in Chicago and Denver.

High point: Cutler was 26-of-38 passing in a 27-13 victory over the Falcons in Week 6 that evened the Bears’ record at 3-3.

Cutler’s departure makes official the speculation that the Bears would be moving in a new direction at QB (hello, Mike Glennon), perhaps the hardest position on an National Football League team to get right.

So, now the Bears move forward with Glennon, who will be signing a reported three-year, $45 million ($19 million guaranteed), per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Meanwhile, Tony Romo remained with the Cowboys as the first day of free agency wrapped up, although the quarterback essentially said goodbye to Dallas fans in a video posted on Twitter.

With Brian Hoyer going to San Francisco and Matt Barkley also an unrestricted free agent, the Bears, who have not drafted a quarterback since Pace was hired after the 2014 season, could now turn to Glennon for their next audition. Chicago could make the call on whether to carry a third quarterback or not, and still fall further down the list after the offseason is done. The constant turnover was not a positive for Cutler’s career. He’s 68-71 as a starter and went 51-51 in the regular season in Chicago, leading the Bears to only one playoff berth. He tossed 21 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions with a career-best QB rating of 92.3. The 33-year-old veteran played in just five games last season with a toe and shoulder injury, implying that the team played in a highly disadvantageous position and hence at a losing end.

According to CSN Chicago’s John Mullin, the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets have decided not to go after Glennon. There’s also the question of where Tony Romo might land. And the #Bears can get out painlessly after 1 year, not 2. The Chiefs are paying Alex Smith an average of $17 million per year, and Andy Dalton is getting $16 million per year from the Bengals. Center Wesley Johnson and cornerback Marcus Williams, restricted free agents, were tendered at the second-round level.