National Football League

Front Office Insider: A look at the 3 ways Cutler-Bears saga can play out

Published Dec. 30, 2014 10:49 a.m. ET

foxsports

Poor quarterback play and a historically bad defense scripted the fates of former Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman.

The duo was canned on Monday, but they leave behind a tangled mess after one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. The most pressing issue is what to do with Jay Cutler, the club's "franchise" quarterback.

Cutler was erratic, leading the league with 24 turnovers in 15 games despite posting a career-high completion percentage. He was benched before Week 16 for backup Jimmy Clausen before reassuming the role for the final week after Clausen got hurt.

Whomever is the next general manager and head coach, they will need to figure out what to do with the quarterback who seems to have fallen out of favor in Chicago.

Next year, Cutler will enter the second season of his seven-year, $127 million deal. The deal was unique in that the first two years of the contract are completely guaranteed. The third year is guaranteed for injury only.

He made $22.5 million this season and is slated to make $15.5 million for 2015. After that, none of the remaining years are guaranteed unless he sustains a significant injury.

Here are three options the incoming staff must choose from before March 12, when $10 million of the $16 million 2016 salary becomes guaranteed, according to Spotrac.com.

KEEP CUTLER

The 31-year-old quarterback has a lot of the physical gifts you look for in a quarterback. Designing an offense that allows him to showcase his arm talent -- but limit some of the risky throws -- could be just what Cutler needs.

"You look at what they did in Dallas and New York (with the Giants) to cut down on the turnovers from the quarterback position," an NFC scout told FOXSports.com. "If they stick with him, a change in offensive philosophy will most certainly follow."

While Cutler's confidence might be bruised, he has shown plenty of ability and desire to succeed. Some, in fact, have lofted the idea that a Cutler and Mike Shanahan reunion could be beneficial to him. The Bears, however, should begin to make decisions that will benefit the team, not just Cutler, who has played for four different offensive coordinators in six years in Chicago.

"I really believe in Jay," Shanahan said last week, via ESPN. "The future's ahead of him, but he's got to make the commitment that he's going to get better and better. It's going to be a group decision to get him over the top, to where he can be. But he is a franchise-type quarterback."

TRADE CUTLER

The Bears are fortunate in that there may be plenty of suitors for a veteran quarterback. While Cutler's deal might be tough to swallow on an annual scale, banking on his potential could make a .500 team a contender. The Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans all could be in the market.

Dealing Cutler gives the new staff a chance to press the reset button (aside from $4 million in prorated money from the deal that has already been paid). Shipping Cutler might not be the issue -- it's replacing him. The Bears have the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 draft after posting a 5-11 record.

With four potentially quarterback-needy teams (Buccaneers, Titans, Redskins, Jets) in the top six, the Bears might miss out on any high-caliber rookie quarterbacks. A less-than-promising free agency class also does them no favors.

RELEASE CUTLER

If the Bears choose to release Cutler before March to avoid paying the guaranteed $10 million, they'd assume a salary cap hit of $19.5 million, $3 million of which would go against 2015. The Bears could also jettison Cutler after June 1, which would move the $3 million charge to 2016.

Cutler's deal, however, includes offset language, which means if he was to be released and signed by another team next season, the Bears would be responsible for the $15.5 million guaranteed minus what he earned from his new team.