Chicago Bears release QB Jay Cutler

The Chicago Bears and Mike Glennon are reportedly on the verge of inking a deal that will make Glennon the team’s starting quarterback, at an average salary of $14.5 million, 23rd in the National Football League among quarterbacks, immediately below Andy Dalton’s $16 million average annual value but well above Robert Griffin III’s $7.5 million. Cutler fumbled 65 times in his eight years as a Bear.

The Bears must hope that Glennon, if given a Kirk Cousins-like opportunity, demonstrates Cousins-like production rather than Osweiler-ish mistakes. “I was always trying to find out what I needed to do to get that job”. Glennon comes in as the starter from day one, that much was said by Bears GM Ryan Pace when asked by the media where the quarterback projects on the depth chart. He proceeded to lead the team to the NFC championship game in 2010. Seattle knows that all too well after Matt Flynn didn’t transform into another Matt Hasselbeck after arriving in 2012 from Green Bay.

NY is also in the market for a quarterback, but have missed out on Glennon, Tyrod Taylor and Brian Hoyer – all of whom were targets for them.

That leaves Cleveland, Houston, San Francisco, Buffalo and the Jets.

First four seasons:34-22, .607 winning percentage.

“I really didn’t hear a negative word about Chicago and the Bears”, said Glennon, who will call teammates to arrange on offsite throwing session soon. All were Jets’ draft picks. They and the New York Jets were thought to be the front-runners for Glennon. Glennon will have a power running game with Jordan Howard and Kadeem Carey.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the deal will be for three years and included $19 million in guaranteed money.

MORE: NFL rumors: Which quarterbacks will move? Aside from trotting out a rookie, though, they didn’t have many cheaper options at the position.

The Bears received Cutler in a trade with the Denver Broncos in 2009. He also posted a career-high 92.3 passer rating in 2015.

Cutler’s intended backup in 2016, Brian Hoyer, broke an arm early in the season.

Let’s take a look at Sanchez’s four years as Jets starter compared to Cutler’s first four years as a starter for the Bears. The team started to decline in 2011 finishing 8-8 on the year. Referring to their 2014 season together, Marshall two years ago said: “I felt like I was the only one in the organization that had the huevos to hold [Cutler] accountable”. Some may say Glennon had Doug Martin, but during Glennons’ first 2 seasons (Pre Jameis Winston) Martin was injured only playing a combined 17 games.

To completely blame Fox and Pace for Cutler’s steady Bears decline would be unfair.