I wrote earlier in the year that I thought the acquisition of Jay Cutler would move the Chicago Bears into the modern age – finally shifting the balance of power away from the overpaid, under-performing defensive unit.  Now Jay Cutler, simply by putting on the navy and orange, has become the face of the franchise.  He has become the Chicago Bears.  And if he remains so for the next ten years, it shall be the decade of decadence around Halas Hall.

Vaugh McClure quotes Cutler in the Tribune, regarding the selection of wide receivers: 

“If they don’t ask me [my opinion], I’m going to tell them what I
think,” he said Wednesday. “I have to be the one throwing to them on
game day. I have to trust them. But [offensive coordinator Ron Turner] and I have been on the same page since the start of training camp with what guys we wanted to see work in with me.”

Take a step back from your computer and read that again.  Now, think.  What would Kyle Orton have answered that question with?  Something like, “I’ll throw to whoever they put out there.”  What would Rex Grossman have said?  Something about New Year’s Eve?

The truth is…
…those guys did not want the Chicago Bears.  They wanted to fit in.  They wanted to be good locker room guys and not rock the firmly-established boat.  Cutler doesn’t give a shit about Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris and Lovie Smith because he shouldn’t.  Cutler looks around and sees that the young talent on this team is on his side of the ball.  His side, not Ron Turner’s.  You can discount these comments today all you want but make no mistake about it…

Jay Cutler knows he’s the Chicago Bears.  He knows winning opens the vault and fills the bags.  And he knows that the only person responsible for that is wearing #6.  If you ask me, that’s something the Bears have lacked at quarterback since the Bears first fielded a quarterback.  That’s something that makes me wish today was September 13th, instead of August 13th.  And that’s something that wins championships.