NFC North Roundup for NFL Week 17
By Dean Holden
Chicago Bears Dec 29, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Lost: Bears 28, Green Bay Packers 33
To the surprise of maybe nobody, the Bears missed the playoffs due to silly mistakes and a major defensive breakdown late.
Now it’s decision time. After an 8-8 season in which Jay Cutler went 5-6 as the starter, the Bears have to decide what to do with him as he heads toward free agency. New head coach Marc Trestman doesn’t have anything invested in the 30-year old quarterback with a track record of missing the playoffs, and if they’re going to move on from him, now is the time.
The alternative is to pay him a boatload of money in the offseason and hope they can fix their other issues on the team with whatever money they have left over.
And those “other issues” start with the defense, which was one of the league’s worst all season, and ostensibly cost them the game against the Packers.