UPDATE: Jay Cutler gets called out by NFL brethren

Jay Cutler/Courtesy: Brian Cassella-Chicago Tribune

Wow! Though we've never been a big fan of Jay Cutler (he's overrated), he's not a horrible quarterback either. In fact there are many, many worse qb's with starting jobs in the NFL.

That being said, we are floored at the reaction to what happened to Cutler in the NFC Championship game on Sunday. Cutler was apparently injured late in the 2nd quarter versus the Packers, hurting his knee. He tried to begin the 3rd quarter but apparently, according to reports, felt he couldn't play on the knee injured as it was.

That unto itself is not a major issue. Except, Cutler, someone not held in incredibly high esteem by neither writers or apparently players outside his team, spent the 2nd half standing around on the sidelines. Several players who--weren't playing--called Cutler out.

Said Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew on Twitter: (Jones_Drew32: "Hey I think the urban meyer rule is in effect right now...When the going gets tough....QUIT...)

Jones-Drew added: "All I'm saying is that he can finish the game on a hurt knee...I played the whole season on one"


NFL Network Analyst Deion Sanders had this to say: "There's reality and perception. Reality, he may have been hurt. The perception is he tapped out. With everything that's at stake in a playoff game...you go to the Super Bowl, carry me off man. You've got to carry me off that field to get me off that field. No one's going to tell me I'm not going back in...".  "And I shouldn't say this on television. Michael, I got everything on my body pretty much shot up inside that locker room to go out there and continue to play this game...I was going to allow that city to know I gave you everything that I could."


Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times has more on the incredible reaction to this RIGHT HERE

David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune says Cutler's toughness was not the problem read it, RIGHT HERE

For his part, Cutler has only missed one full game in his career (concussion). We can respect that. The Bears players have stuck up for their quarterback, as they should.

The amazing thing to us is the almost universal criticism. While we can understand that NFL players might criticize this amongst themselves, the fact that so many of them went public is unheard of. We really think, until we find out how serious Cutler's injury is, there's no room to be critical. Sure, we understand the NFL "Tough Guy" mantra and play through it all and the stuff the Deion Sanders said. But everyone is different.  Injuries are different. If you can't go, you can't go. For all any of the "Critics" know, he could have had a brace on under the Parka/Plastic bag.

As the saying goes..."Don't hate the play-a"....

Here's Cutler his ownself. Thanks CSN Chicago:



MONDAY PM UPDATE: Cutler has a sprained knee ligament and would have been questionable had the Bears won Sunday.

Head coach Lovie Smith says Cutler sprained one of his medial collateral ligaments in his right knee.

Asked about Cutler on Monday, backup QB Caleb Hanie said: "He's limping around
and feels bad that we lost."