Jay Cutler: Was He Really Injured?

So, today was Championship Sunday, and though my hometown Bears lost, it was still a pretty great game. But I expected us to play Jay Cutler for all four quarters. I didn't expect Todd Collins (aka the worst second string quarterback ever) or Caleb Hanie to play. This was the NFC Championship, and I wanted to watch Jay Cutler at least try to mount a comeback. People may say that Hanie actually made the team better, but he really didn't. For the two touchdown drives he started, he also gave up what happened to be the game-winning touchdown. I'm not trying to say that Cutler doesn't make that throw (we have 26 reasons from last season of why he would have), but he is the more talented quarterback between the two. He can make those plays, but he couldn't. While watching the game, I couldn't help but notice that the only thing wrong with Cutler appeared to be his attitude. He was standing up and walking about. He didn't limp around and he really didn't seem to have anything wrong with him. So did he quit on his team?

There are so many reasons why it would seem that he quit on his team. First off, he's been labeled as an underachiever. For a quarterback so talented, he is very bad. He has the arm strength to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but he doesn't work on his mechanics like Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers does. He never really improves his form, something that has been criticized in the past. Secondly, he's also been labeled as a selfish player. As a Bears fan, I've never taken a liking to Cutler. He never seems like he's into the game. He complains too much and loses confidence too quickly. He completely ruined his relationships in Denver, and he may be starting to lose fans in Chicago after this "injury". He has been a "me" type of player, and that doesn't work in a team sport. Lastly, he's not a great leader. There are some great leaders in football. Ray Lewis, Manning, Tom Brady, Brian Urlacher, Rodgers, Drew Brees. Almost every single team has a true leader, but Cutler has never actually taken that role in football in general. Sure, Urlacher has been an emotional leader for the Bears, but he's also a team guy. He would be willing to share that leadership role with anybody. Cutler never stepped up.

But for all these reasons of why he may have quit, there is one reason we're forgetting for why he didn't. He didn't bench himself; the coaches had the final say. He went through stretches and talked with the medical staff before he was pulled. It could be argued that he exaggerated the extent of his injuries, but odds are that he was taken out for a reason. I highly doubt that Lovie Smith thought that Todd Collins would be better in this situation because of his abysmal performance against the then-winless Carolina Panthers. So Lovie had a reason to take out Cutler. Lovie is a smart coach and he is the type of guy who would stick with his starter unless there is unquestionable doubt that his starter can not play. He pushes a player to be his best, but Lovie never puts his players at risk. So Lovie benched him because he thought that his quarterback was injured, something that his teammates can attest to.

So Cutler could have been injured or he could not have been. But what stings the most is that he did not look sad at his injury. He wasn't emotional about missing out on the chance to comeback for the win in a championship game. He was complacent. He was on the bench listening to music, watching the game. He didn't show a sadness for watching the championship game on the bench, rather than playing in it. He seemed to be just fine for missing out on what really is the biggest game of his career. Sure his teammates know that he is passionate about the game, but they're his teammates. You don't go around backstabbing your teammates or saying crap about them. Sure he was happy for Hanie when he led those two drives, but there are people who get benched who react crazily, even if it is because of an injury. They want to be on the field, especially in a playoff game. This is every football player's dream. So maybe we can't question whether or not he was injured, but as Deion Sanders tweeted, we can question Jay Cutler's heart and his passion. The question is no longer was he really injured because we can find that out. The question now is does Cutler even care anymore?

Update: Cutler cried after learning that his toughness was put into question. Now I'm not exactly the biggest Cutler supporter, but as a Bears fan, it is great to see our starting quarterback show some emotion. He really does care. Hope the injury you have isn't that bad Cutler!