Chicago Bears: 5 Reasons Jay Cutler Is Ready to Take over the NFL

Jay Cutler seemed to be taking steps in the right direction last year before he got injured. The Bears quarterback had his team a roll winning five straight games before he got injured for the rest of the season. 

It has been an up and down journey for Cutler since he came to Chicago. Fans rejoiced when the trade happened only to question the quarterback after a tough playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers in 2010. 

Where does Cutler go from here? Can he succeed in a division that includes Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford?

The Bears are going to need Cutler to be the star they believed they were trading for if the team wants to compete in 2012, but he is up to the challenge?

Here are five reasons why Jay Cutler is ready to take over the NFL. 

New Toys to Play with

It's no secret the Bears have been without a number one wide receiver for quite some time. Marty Booker back in 2002 was the last Bear to have over a 1,000 yard season as a receiver. 

No knock on Earl Bennett, Johnny Knox and Devin Hester, but neither one of those guys have the skill necessary to be a go-to receiver. Even the best quarterbacks in the league work with quality tools. Cutler now has his old friend back in his arsenal. 

The Bears made a major upgrade when the traded for Brandon Marshall. Together in Denver, Cutler and Marshall hooked up for over 220 receptions and 15 touchdowns in three seasons. Both players developed a chemistry together that will only blossom now going forward. 

Marshall is not the only new weapon in the fold. The Bears signed running back Michael Bush to complement the very versatile and productive Matt Forte. The team also brought in Cutler's former quarterback coach Jeremy Bates to call plays for the the passing game.

Long gone are the seven-step drop backs from Mike Martz. This offense is built around Cutler and his strengths. He made great strides last year in a flawed offense with poor receivers. Just imagine what he can do now with his new toys.  

Stability in His Personal Life

It seemed like Jay Cutler had a funky attitude when he came into the NFL. For the most part he didn't have a likable approach and was viewed as a villain when he made his exile from Denver. 

Cutler and his reality star fiance Kristin Cavallari were engaged in April of 2011 only to break it off abruptly in July of that year. All of a sudden, months later, she was on Dancing With the Stars and the quarterback was publicly supporting her.

The two seemed to rekindle their relationship during that time and announced their engagement was back on in November of 2011. Months later the couple surprised people again announcing they were expecting their first child.  

There is no tangible correlation between Cutler being a better quarterback because his personal life is stable. Except at the time of his engagement Cutler was playing his best stretch of football as a Bear. Before the season ending injury, Cutler had the offense flying high and the team was riding a five game winning streak. 

Cutler seems to be more at peace now that his personal life is stable. He became a better quarterback when his personal situation got better. He seems happier and more comfortable as the Bears quarterback. 

Chicago's Got His Back

Let's go back to the NFC Championship Game. Jay Cutler was getting pounded by the Green Bay Packers defense and at some point in the first half he suffered a knee injury that knocked him out of the game. 

Cutler tried to give it a go in the second half but was not able to plant his leg to even throw the football. Todd Collins came in and he was eventually replaced by Caleb Hanie. Ultimately the Bears lost the game 21-14 but the story was just getting started. 

Many fans and even NFL players questioned the severity of Cutler's injury and called his toughness into question. His teammates publicly defended him but the damage was done. Cutler was viewed as soft in Chicago and around the NFL. 

Going forward, Cutler had a lot to prove. He needed to win over Bear's fans again and he did just that in the 2011 season. He took a pounding week after week behind a makeshift offensive line including the infamous performance in Detroit on Monday Night Football. Cutler was sacked three times but was hit almost every time he dropped back. He still managed to keep his team in a game they ultimately loss finishing with 249 yards completing 73 percent of his passes for a 99.6 quarterback rating. 

Fans regained their respect for Cutler in that game. They later learned to appreciate him more once the Caleb Hanie experiment went bad after Cutler's season ending injury. The fans are now firmly behind Cutler and he is ready to perform for them. 

Leading the Way

When Jay Cutler first got to Chicago he was in a tough spot. He just forced his way out of Denver on to a team rich in tradition and already had a couple of strong figure heads. 

The Bears have always been built on defense. Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman have been the figureheads of the team throughout the Lovie Smith era. It was difficult for Cutler to come in and have a voice on the team. 

It took Cutler some time but he found his voice as a leader on the Bears. 2011 was a different Jay Cutler on and off the field. He was a more vocal leader of the offense and team as a whole. His new approach translated into his play on the field. He was a better quarterback because he was a better leader. 

Going forward, Cutler will only increase his role as a leader. He is now entering his fourth season on the Bears and seventh in the NFL. He's the quarterback and a true leader on the team. Best of all is, he knows this and embraces it now.  

Maturity in Its Prime

What doe the numbers 16, 26 and 18 mean? Those are the amounts of interceptions Jay Cutler threw before last season. Last year he finished with 13 in a season cut short due to injury. There is also one more very important number: 29. That will be the age of Cutler when he enters next season. 

People tend to forget Cutler is a young guy. He will be 29 years old entering his seventh season in the NFL. Some players are born leaders and can take over a locker room as soon as they enter the league. For some like Cutler, it takes some time. 

Cutler is now entering the prime of his career and has already shown great strides in maturity. Last season Cutler made smarter decisions with the football. He cut down his red zone turnovers and seemed willing to take what the defense gave. 

The mark of a smart quarterback is not showing your arrogance by throwing into triple coverage because you can, tt's knowing when to check down or take a field goal for the better of the team. Cutler gaining maturity and entering the prime of his career can only spell trouble for NFL teams going forward.