As the Bears brass watched them lose to the Rams and drop yet another opportunity to take control of the NFC North, they find themselves with an uncomfortable decision to make: what to do with starting quarterback Jay Cutler.  No, this is not a call to install Josh McNown as the starter once Cutler is healthy, as many have done since McCown has impressively stepped in for the injured QB.  Instead, this is a look to the future, as Cutler’s contract expires at the end of the season.  Strangely, the problem the Bears may face is that Cutler is too good.

Too good to find a replacement, that is.  Quarterbacks with the skill and talent of Jay Cutler do not normally find themselves looking for employment.  When the Bears acquired Cutler, it took 2 first round picks and a third round pick.  With the current state of the defense, they can ill afford to give away draft picks to get another quarterback should they choose to let Cutler walk.  Nor is there likely to be anyone available via free agency that would match Cutler’s abilities, let alone represent an upgrade.

So, the obvious answer would be to sign Cutler to an extension, right?  This is where the Bears find themselves in a bit of a pickle.  Cutler may be too good to replace, but is he good enough for the Bears to win with him?  The last 5 seasons would not necessarily lead one to believe that they can.  2010 was the only season of Cutler’s NFL career that his team made the playoffs, and, while the Bears did make it to the NFC Championship game, it was more due to the defense than Jay Cutler and the offense.  With today’s loss, the Bears remain tied for first place in the NFC North, but they have already lost the tie-breaker to the Lions and are not likely to earn a wild card berth.  Is one playoff appearance in 5 seasons the pedigree of a franchise quarterback?