Getty Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has high hopes for Justin Fields -- but has concerns about one thing in particular.
Jay Cutler would prefer to not see history repeat itself.
The former Chicago Bears quarterback, who led the team from 2009 to 2016, finished as the franchise’s all-time passing leader with 23,443 yards, but he had his share of ups and downs over that time. Cutler went 51-51 in is 102 starts as a Bears quarterback, also finishing as the team’s leader in touchdown passes (154), attempts (3,271) and completions (2,020).
In an interview with Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times, Cutler discussed the team’s current situation and expressed concern about what second-year quarterback Justin Fields has already been through in his short time with the Bears.
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Cutler Has Warning About Frequent Coaching Changes
Cutler’s time in Chicago was marked by a near-constant turnover of offensive staff members. He had six different offensive coordinators (Ron Turner, Mike Martz, Mike Tice, Aaron Kromer, Adam Gase and Dowell Loggains) and three different head coaches (Lovie Smith, Marc Trestman and John Fox) during his eight-year tenure in the Windy City, and he told Lieser he’s worried Fields is set to suffer a similar fate.
“I like him,” Cutler told the Sun-Times about Fields. “He’s got all the tools, but it’s the same problem the Bears have had for a long time: They’re turning over coaches and turning over OCs. It’s hard for a quarterback. You look across the league, and the guys that are really good at quarterback have the same coaches and same systems each year. This is like learning a different language. It’s like if I told you: ‘Hey, you’ve gotta learn Spanish this year, and next year learn Italian and the next year learn Chinese,’ it’s not gonna be easy.”
Fields had an uneven 2021 season that saw him go 2-8 in his 10 starts. The offense was helmed by former head coach Matt Nagy, along with offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, all of whom were fired at the end of the regular season.
Now, Fields has a new head coach in Matt Eberflus, and a first-time OC in Luke Getsy, who is fresh from working with reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. The hope is that Fields will benefit from Getsy’s system, which is said to be QB-friendly.
From a source who worked with Luke Getsy:
*Calls him a good coach and a QB specialist.
*Describes him as real even-keeled. Steady in a good way.
*Says Aaron Rodgers liked working with him.
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Consistency Will Be Key for Fields Moving Forward
Fields is also working with a new QBs coach in Andrew Janocko, so he’s already on the path Cutler warned against, through no fault of his own, of course. As Cutler noted, consistency is important for young quarterbacks in the NFL, and the 23-year-old signal-caller has yet to have that in Chicago. Hopefully it comes in the form of Eberflus, Getsy and Janocko.
Cutler also told the Sun-Times that regardless of regime change, he’s rooting for the young Bears QB to succeed.
“If the Bears start winning … I hope they do,” Cutler added. “And I hope Justin is successful, and I hope he’s the next big thing here and he’s the best quarterback to come out of Chicago Bears history.”
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