Since Ryan Pace has taken over as the General Manager of the Chicago Bears, he has completely overhauled the team. There is only one player starting that still currently has a contract under the old regime. That player is Jay Cutler. Jay Cutler reportedly sprained his thumb against Philadelphia on Monday Night Football in Week 2. The most likely scenario is that Brian Hoyer gets the start until Cutler returns. But, all this raises the very simple question: "What's next for .Jay Cutler?" This organization is tossing out players like they are burnt pizza crusts and Cutler being the only one remaining with a contract under the old regime, he may be the next one to leave. But if that is the case, what do the Bears do at quarterback? There are a few options:
1) Stick With Jay Cutler
This is initially what I thought the Bears would do. But as I dug deeper, I realized I have no idea. Sticking with Cutler seems like the most logical option but the new front office in Chicago has thrown the logical choice out the window in many scenarios such as not re-signing Matt Forte, and cutting Robbie Gould. Whether those moves actually worked out remains to be seen but at this current moment, it's not looking good. That being said, the logical choice isn't always the one this regime has gone with in the 2 offseasons they've been in control and this situation is no exception. I wouldn't be surprised if they let Cutler go, especially because his guaranteed money ends this season and Pace looks like he wants to build this whole team in his image and likeness, but if Cutler doesn't do that, who does?
2) Tank and Draft a New Quarterback
It's not difficult to see the Bears finishing as one of the worst teams in the NFL this year. They are riddled with injuries and just can't put all the pieces of a good team together. And if they want to get a replacement for Cutler, what better place to get it than the draft? A young player, straight out of college who Fox and Loggains can teach the offense and they may have a superstar in a few years. It presents more upside than sticking with Cutler but also has more risk involved with Cutler being the sure thing. They know what he is whereas a rookie has some mystery factor.
3) Sign A Free Agent
If the Bears don't get a high enough pick to draft a high-end prospect and don't stick with Jay Cutler, they could try and find someone available on the free agent market. However, this doesn't always pan out and the market in it's current state is an unending abyss of failure after failure. Some of the best quarterbacks currently on the free agent market are: Michael Vick, Josh Freeman, Zach Mettenberger, Mark Sanchez, and Austin Davis. None of those guys are particularly enticing, certainly not more enticing than Cutler.
4) Stick With What They Have
Potentially, the Bears can just keep what they have. The Bears this offseason signed Brian Hoyer and Connor Shaw as backups. Brian Hoyer will start in Cutler's stead and despite an impressive preseason from Connor Shaw, after Week 3 of the preseason he was put on IR due to a compound fracture in his leg he suffered near the end of that game. Maybe the Bears are waiting to develop Connor Shaw and use him as a starter instead of Cutler. Hoyer has no other purpose than being exclusively a backup quarterback. But Shaw is still fairly young at 25 and can still potentially develop into something.
All of these possibilities involve some sort of risk factor and a certain variable working out for it to work in the Bears favor. However, sometimes, a team needs to take that shot to take the next step. Sometimes it works. Other times it doesn't. But if they don't try, they'll never know. So, in the end, it's better than to take a risk that may potentially work out for the team, than to stay in your current situation where you are not improving.
