Esiason: Cutler Could Have 'Ruined His Entire Career'
The immediate response, by many, to Jay Cutler's injury wasn't very positive. There were some who questioned his toughness and mental makeup. Those people were angry that Cutler didn't try to finish the game.
As details of the injury, and what happened in the locker room and sideline, were revealed on Monday, some people softened their negative stance. But there were still some who claim Cutler gave up on the Bears and questioned his toughness.
"I defended Jay Cutler," Boomer Esiason, former NFL quarterback and current CBS analyst, said of his initial on-air response. "Because, you know, in all the years that I played I never questioned any of my teammates when they were hurt and they were injured and they were more of a detriment to our team than they were a help. I basically said 'next man up.'"
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Once Cutler tried to play in his injured knee, two questions should have been immediately asked. Are the Bears a better off with a limited and injured Cutler or a healthy Todd Collins and Caleb Hanie? And second, what could playing on his knee do to the rest of his career?
"When the medical people are telling you 'don't go on to the field,' you don't go on to the field," Esiason said. "Of course they could have shot his knee, I'm sure, and put some Novocaine in there. And then he could have gone out there and completely obliterated his knee and ruined his career."
The initial emotional responses have ended for Bears' fans. Now they need to ask themselves if it would have been worth ruining Cutler's career to have him continue playing the way he did in the first drive of the third quarter?
Before his injury Cutler wasn't having a great game. And after his injury it didn't appear as if he got any better.
"So there's always that fine line, that you want to play hurt" Esiason said. "But if you cannot be effective and you cannot protect yourself then you shouldn't be on the field of play."
