Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler Calls Rick Dennison a "Great Candidate" for Bears HC

He didn't come right out and say it, but in Jay Cutler's final appearance on the Jay Cutler Show on ESPN, the Bears QB made a point to indicate that Houston Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison may be his favorite candidate to be the next Bears head coach.

Sure, he expressed confidence in GM Phil Emery's ability to find the right next head coach, and he said very positive things about Marc Trestman and Mike McCoy, but he was sure to say that "Dennison is one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL."

Now, I realize that complimenting a guy as an offensive line coach is not the same thing as suggesting he would be the best head coach.

But he went on to say more about Dennison than he said about any of the other candidates. So, if you read between the lines, perhaps Cutler is pushing for this guy.

"Great guy off the field, very, very smart, intellectual guy," he added. "He interviewed last year for a couple of spots. He's gonna get a head coaching job at some point in his career. I'm certain about that. Great candidate. I have a lot of respect for him."

It's interesting to note that the Bears have been the only team with a head coach opening who has indicated a desire to interview Dennison.

The Bears are coming to Houston to interview Dennison on Friday. 

He coached Cutler and Brandon Marshall when they were at Denver, and he has connections with several members of the Bears’ staff.

So, if Cutler likes Dennison, and Emery has said he wants to build around his QB, then that should make him a top candidate. When you're dissecting at least a dozen candidates, it's a good thing to have the backing of the guy you're building around.