Feb. 24--After a season working closely with Jay Cutler, Bears coach John Fox continues to offer heartfelt praise for the veteran quarterback.
A year ago, as Fox settled into his newest head coaching job, he arrived at the league's scouting combine uncertain as to what to expect and reluctant to even publicly endorse Cutler as the team's starter.
On Wednesday morning at Lucas Oil Stadium, Fox could not have been more enthusiastic in reviewing his first season working with Cutler.
"He was probably one of the brightest spots, I think, about our first year in Chicago and getting to know our players," Fox said.
Cutler had a solid 2015 season, completing 64.4 percent of his passes and throwing for 3,659 yards with 21 touchdown passes. More significantly, his turnover total dropped by 33 percent -- from a league-high 24 in 2014 to 16 last season.
Cutler missed only one full game after suffering a significant hamstring injury in a Week 2 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, fighting to get back on the field as soon as possible. Futhermore, from the team's first spring minicamp to the season finale, Cutler also showed a persistent dedication to improving, also proving to be an effective communicator with the coaching staff as the offense evolved and each week's game plans required tweaks.
On the whole, Fox came away pleased with just how much his relationship with Cutler grew.
"I saw way more about his mental toughness," Fox said. "I saw way more about how he can absorb an offense and execute it under pressure. I think that speaks volumes for how successful he was on third downs, which is a tough down for a quarterback in the NFL. But I was very, very pleased by what I saw and what we have to work with going forward."
