The elephant in the room surrounding former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was his leadership.
He had all of the talent, all of the skill and all of the potential. When it came down to one of this important aspect of playing quarterback, he was often questioned.
While Cutler’s teammates over the years defended his leadership, former Bears receiver Brandon Marshall finally got candid on national television.
Appearing on ESPN’s First Take, Marshall admitted that, in terms of leadership, “Jay Cutler was bad.”
“He can make every throw, he’s one of the smartest guys I’ve been around,” Marshall said, “But it comes down to this heart right here and leadership.”
Marshall recalled how Cutler would get emotional in practice whenever a mishap would occur. Instead of taking ownership, Cutler would complain, something that the other quarterbacks Marshall’s played for didn’t do.
“You can’t be afraid to approach your quarterback,” Marshall said. “You can’t be afraid to mess up because your quarterback is going to crush you.”
A quarterback is supposed to be lead his teammates into battle, take accountability, inspire confidence and set an example.
Look no further than what Marshall said about former Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and how important a great leader is to a team.
“I love Ryan Fitzpatrick,” Marshall said. “He couldn’t throw like a Jay Cutler, but I’ll run through a wall for Ryan Fitzpatrick because he’s going to give me his all.”
