NFL News: Chicago Bears Officially Release Veteran QB Jay Cutler

The Chicago Bears have made a move that seemingly everyone knew was coming. Veteran quarterback Jay Cutler is no longer the starting quarterback for the Bears nor a member of the team.

According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, Cutler was released by the team on Thursday:

The Bears released the enigmatic quarterback following the start of the league year on Thursday. Chicago attempted to trade Cutler, to no avail.

Cutler played in five games for the Bears last season. The veteran quarterback threw for 1,059 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions during the 2016 NFL campaign.

After making a name for himself in three seasons with the Denver Broncos, Cutler played the last eight years with the Bears. Although Cutler showed signs of promise during his time in Chicago, he never lived up to expectations and no will likely struggle to find another starting gig in the NFL.

The Vanderbilt product will hit the free agent market with the veteran likely either set to be picked up as a backup quarterback. If Cutler goes unsigned, he’ll be near the top of the list of candidates for teams that deal with injuries at the position leading up to and during the 2017 campaign.

In the meantime, the Bears will move forward with Mike Glennon, according to NFL.com:

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is joining the Bears on a three-year deal that includes $18.5 million in guarantees, sources informed of the deal told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

The Bears will attempt to start fresh with Glennon as they try to compete in a highly competitive NFC North division. Chicago will once again be expected to finish last in the division, but have finally moved on from Cutler which means they may be moving in the right direction.