Bears quarterback Jay Cutler knows his injuries aren’t helping him get a long-term contract, but he said during his weekly radio show that he’s fine if the Bears decide to use the franchise tag on him this offseason.
In fact, it sounds like he’s already making summer plans.
“I’m not gonna take anything personally,” Cutler said on ESPN 1000. “If they want to franchise me, I’m gonna feel good about the situation we’re in. We’re gonna be in our second year of the offense with these guys. We’re gonna be better. I’m gonna be better. So it’s not personal. It’s business.”
Of course, he admitted that if the tag comes (a one-year deal worth north of $16 million), he might not spend the whole offseason getting better with his teammates.
“Well, you just don’t show up for a little while,” Cutler said. “But everyone at some point comes back to work, right? I’m not just gonna not show up. I might be like, ‘I’m gonna miss a few OTAs and go on an extra vacation.’ But at some point, I’m gonna be back there.”
That said, Cutler made he clear he wanted to “stay in Chicago,” and thought the progress the offense showed this year made it more likely the group might stay together.
Of course, General Manager Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman have a say in the process as well.
