The way the Chicago Bears handled an assistant coach's anonymous criticisms of quarterback Jay Cutler mirrored how the team has handled Cutler's penchant for mistakes and undisciplined play. Those mistakes, on display from the beginning of a 31-15 home defeat to the Saints on "Monday Night Football," amplify questions about how the team should proceed at the position. Before we run through potential scenarios, a lesson in the Bears' team psychology is in order.
General manager Phil Emery, like head coach Marc Trestman, is known as the intelligent, reflective type. These guys see teaching moments when others might see red. That shined through in the nuanced 900-word explanation Emery provided to WBBM-AM 780 radio in Chicago when explaining how the team handled offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer's unusual admission that he had spoken out of turn regarding Cutler. Trestman could have lashed out at Kromer or fired him, but instead he turned the situation into a teaching moment. Kromer delivered a tearful apology to the team. They would work through the situation together.
"Marc had a dilemma," Emery explained in his radio comments. "I would say that his dilemma and all the issues revolving around this decision -- you could lay this out in MBA class and talk about in terms of how a decision is made, how are leaders formed, how do leaders make decisions.
"Part of that is very tough because you always have to treat people with respect," Emery said. "You have to have restraint of your emotions before you make decisions which involve the common good or involve the best interest of the team."
Keep that in mind when considering how the Bears might proceed with Cutler, a $126 million quarterback who leads the NFL in turnovers for a team with a 5-9 record. (We're going to run through the team's options below.)