Did Jay Cutler make the right choice, when demanding to be traded, and who benefitted the most, from his decision? There are two sides to every story, or at least there should be, so let's examine this situation from both perspectives, before drawing our own conclusions, shall we? Cutler has indicated that he was happy things worked in his favor in the end, but he might have alienated many Denver Broncos fans in the process, who are still seeking a successor to the legendary John Elway, and restore the renowned franchise to prosperity.
How many starting quarterbacks have taken over the helm that John Elway has held for 16 years, with the Denver Broncos? Brian Griese was the first, followed by Gus Frerrote, Steve Beuerlein, and Jake Plummer, until he was replaced by Cutler. Each quarterback had their moments, either while with the Broncos, or with other teams they played for. Frerrote, Plummer, and Cutler, have surpassed some of Elway's team records for passing yards in a game or season, but none have ever led the Broncos to the Super Bowl, like Elway did 5 times in his career, which is still a record for appearances by a starting quarterback. Of course, many successful players in all sports have never experienced playing for a championship, or even come close, but one should not be judged primarily by their ability, or lack thereof, to lead their teams to a title, as the tenure of a professional athlete, and their accomplishments, should not go unnoticed. A player must have made some good contributions to their teams, in order to remain on their roster, or in the league, for an extended time, and their ability to persevere and overcome adversity, also helps determine one's success in professional sports. We are all going to have our off days, when things don't seem to go our way, no matter what we do, or how hard we try, but that is a part of life we must learn to accept, and handle accordingly. Among those starting quarterbacks who have replaced Elway since his retirement, only Griese and Plummer have led the Broncos to the playoffs. Plummer had a winning record after coming to Denver, which he had been unable to achieve with some previously inept Phoenix/ Arizona Cardinals' teams, and then he seemed to play his worse, when it mattered most, during the championship game loss to Pittsburgh in 2006, so the Broncos drafted Jay Cutler the following season, as his eventual replacement. Cutler compiled some impressive statistics with the Broncos, in his 3 seasons with the team, and even though his record was a paltry 17-20, he established himself as a good quarterback in the league, especially after discovering he was a diabetic, and after seeking treatment to alleviate the symptoms that affected his performance during the 2007 season, he led the AFC in passing yards, was only sacked 11 times (the fewest among starting quarterbacks), and was elected to the Pro Bowl for the first time, so the future looked bright for Cutler, and with all the free agency signings by the team in the offseason, Denver looked to be a playoff caliber team again, in 2009.
Continue reading ""What have you done for me, lately?"-The Jay Cutler Story"
