With apologies to Jay-Z, Jay Cutler is “playing monopoly with real cash.” #CuttyDoesIt will be the highest paid player in the NFL this season, a million dollars more than Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons(source: Roster Management System, via ESPN). “Jay day” became payday largely due to the lackluster history of Bears quarterbacking.
I did a story on this exact topic that made the cover of Thursday’s RedEye. I suggest you check it out here, as it has exclusive conversations with the biggest national media names covering the NFL this season. I had some 1-on-1s with a few NFL Hall of Famers, who gave me their take on what Jay Cutler expectations should be.
Back to reasons why Cutler received such a massive contract.
Shane Matthews is the team’s all time completion percentage leader; Rex Grossman is the 11th highest rated passer in Bears history (source: The Football Database). That tells you everything you need to know about the quality of your typical signal caller playing in Soldier Field. Jay Cutler looks better by comparison, and that’s why the “free market” decided he’s worth $22.5 million dollars this season.
How does Cutler justify an investment like that? NFL Network Analyst Michael Irvin, one of the best receivers to ever play the game, has an idea.
– “Jay is not stepping off that back foot. Jay is playing technically sound football…The biggest surprise is going to be when Jay Cutler steps up and gets the MVP for the 2014 season.” – Michael Irvin on Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler on Thursday night’s edition of NFL Gameday Kickoff
Yes, Irvin believes that Cutler will be the league’s MVP. That’s a rather bold prediction, but remember again, there are 22 and a half million reasons why Irvin is making a reasonable expectation. An MVP award is an equal return on investment for Chicago. Apparently, Irvin has noticed something different in Cutler’s mechanics that makes him believe he’ll raise his game up this fall.
Have a listen with my exclusive interview of Michael Irvin. The podcast has over 350 listens for a reason:
Paul M. Banks owns and manages The Sports Bank.net, in partnership with Fox Sports and Yahoo. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)