April 2nd will always mean something to Chicago Bears fans; the anniversary of when the team acquired its quarterback of the future when they traded for Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster deal.
The move was widely celebrated as it gave the Bears their first true franchise quarterback since Jim McMahon in the 1980s and hope that they would return to the Super Bowl with a bonafide offense.
Now, 11 years later, Cutler has since retired from the league after playing eight seasons in Chicago with mixed results. He became the Bears’ all-time leading passer in nearly every statistical category, but he struggled with turnovers at times and only led the team to the postseason once.
Cutler will forever be a lightning rod for Bears fans, but there’s no doubt he had plenty of memorable and exciting moments in Chicago. Here are my top five Jay Cutler moments as a Chicago Bear.
5) Cutler’s 42-yard TD pass to Alshon Jeffery against vs. Colts (2012)
At first glance, this may seem like an odd place to start. After all, with all the moments in his career, why choose one touchdown in the fourth quarter of a blowout victory?
This is a top-five moment for me because it’s, in my opinion, the best throw Cutler ever made as a Bear. The play counts as a 42-yard score, but in reality, the throw traveled nearly 60 yards since Cutler threw it behind the 50-yard line and into the back of the endzone. And he looked like he barely broke a sweat doing it. It’s this throw that made fans so excited to land the former Vanderbilt product.
4) Game-winning touchdown in OT against the Vikings (2009)
Cutler’s first year as a Bear in 2009 went off the rails almost immediately, but managed to finish the season strong. In his final two games, the Bears went 2-0 and Cutler had eight touchdowns to just one interception. The first of those games was the Bears upsetting quarterback Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in primetime.
After squandering the lead in regulation, the Bears delivered the final blow win overtime, with Cutler firing a deep pass to receiver Devin Aromashodu to win the game 36-30. The game was really the start of a fun ride for Bears fans.
3) Cutler, Bears upset Packers on Brett Favre Night on Thanksgiving (2015)
Was this Cutler’s best performance as a Bear? No. Did this propel the team to an unlikely playoff run? Not quite. Was it satisfying seeing Cutler get his first win at Lambeau Field in primetime during Brett Favre’s number retirement? Absolutely.
Cutler’s struggles against the Packers were well-documented. He had a career record of 1-11 heading into that game and no one expected the Bears to pull off an upset as Green Bay was surging towards another playoff appearance. But Cutler did his part, going 19 for 31 for 200 yards with one score and the defense held quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense from a late score to win 17-13.
The memory of Cutler, along with CB Tracy Porter, eating turkey legs after spoiling a momentous occasion for Green Bay fans everywhere still warms my heart.
2) Cutler throws 3 late TDs in comeback against 49ers (2014)
If you watched enough of Cutler through the years, you know how much punishment he took from defenses. That was evident during the 2014 game against the San Francisco 49ers. After taking a shot to the chest in the second quarter, Cutler rallied to have arguably his best game as a Bear.
He threw for four touchdowns, including three in the fourth quarter, to lead the Bears to a comeback victory 28-20. It was a gutsy performance and showcased Cutler’s toughness in a hostile environment. Unfortunately, fortunes changed for the Bears shortly after that game, but his performance still stands out.
1) Cutler leads Bears to NFC divisional playoffs victory against Seahawks
The Bears only had one playoff victory during Cutler’s tenure, but it was a great one. On his first playoff pass attempt, Cutler fired a deep ball to tight end Greg Olsen for a 58-yard score to put the Bears up 7-0. And they didn’t look back, going up 28-0 and winning 35-24.
Cutler didn’t have his best game, but he still played well, completing 15 of 28 passes for 274 yards and four total touchdowns. He made plays when they needed to happen with his arms and his legs all game long in the biggest game of his career to that point.
We all know the injury controversy that happened the very next week against Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game, which is likely why Cutler’s performance gets forgotten. But for me, and possibly many others, it’s his finest moment as a Bear.
