Jay Cutler is leaving the NFL playing field and heading into the broadcast booth in 2017. (Getty)
Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is leaving the NFL playing field and heading for the broadcast booth — agreeing to terms with Fox Sports, the network announced on Friday.
Cutler confirmed Friday — in a statement — that he will not be playing in the NFL, at least for this coming season. He did not use the word retirement.
Read his statement below:
Here’s the retirement statement Fox Sports sent out from Jay Cutler, who cites Henry Rollins among others:
The 34-year-old will be joining Kevin Burkhardt and Charles Davis in the booth, replacing John Lynch — who was hired in January by the San Francisco 49ers to be the team’s general manager.
.@KevinBurkhardt tells @AdamSchein that the first game KB/Cutler/Davis will do as a team is the Bears-Titans preseason game
“We’re thrilled to welcome Jay to the FOX Sports family,” said John Entz, Fox Sports’ President of Production & Executive Producer. “We’re very excited about the potential he brings to the booth and are looking forward to hearing his analysis during what is sure to be another great season of the NFL on FOX.”
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cutler had been in discussions with the New York Jets, as well as the Houston Texans, but nothing materialized.
Before deciding to go to FOX, Jay Cutler had real discussions with Jets, and less-promising ones with Texans. Cutler opted for analyst role.
After being drafted in the first round out of Vanderbilt, Cutler, 34, spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Denver Broncos — selected to his first and only Pro Bowl in 2008. He was then traded to the Chicago Bears, where he spent the remaining eight years of his career.
Cutler’s tenure with the Bears was plagued by injuries — having not played a full 16-game slate since 2009. His 2016 season ended after only five games, having suffered a right shoulder injury.
Cutler was cut by the Bears this past March.
If this is it for Cutler, he finishes his NFL career having thrown 208 touchdowns, 146 interceptions and 32,467 yards. He is the Bears all-time leader in passing yards with 23,443.