Waters and Cutler Take "Personal Injury" To Whole New Level

Does anyone out there know if an NFL player has ever been put on injured reserve because they got their feelings hurt? 

"Impossible," you say? At some point in our lives, we all learn the same universal lesson:  Nothing is impossible.

Case in point: Jay Cutler and Brian Waters. Theirs is a tale of two "tough guys" who turned into wimps.

Now, I won't go to great lengths to rehash the background on these two, because their incidents have already been very well documented and discussed this offseason (Cutler especially grabbed the headlines).

The Cutler situation was simple: Denver's new head coach had clandestine conversations with other teams regarding a possible three-way deal which would have brought Matt Cassel to Denver. It made sense, as new Head Coach Josh McDaniels had a good working relationship with Cassel in New England.

But Cutler found out, got pissed, took a stance, and finally got traded. In a matter of a few weeks, the Denver Broncos went from having a franchise quarterback to a below-average one.

Of course, now many people are saying that Kyle Orton (brought in from Chicago in the Cutler trade) is actually pretty good. Really?

If Orton was any good, then he wouldn't be arriving in Denver along with two first-round draft picks.

The whole story is kind of hard to believe. You would think that Cutler would realize that it is natural for a head coach to want to bring in players they have existing relationships with. It happens all the time; look at Kansas City front office hirings.

But Cutler felt insulted. His feelings were hurt and he just had to leave.

Then there's Brain Waters of Kansas City. Nobody really knows exactly what went on here, though everyone thinks they do. The only two people who really know are Waters and coach Todd Haley, but Haley won't address the issue and Waters' explanation is just too subjective to be taken seriously.

Basically, Haley had just been named head coach and was busy as hell. Waters wanted to meet with him, but Haley didn't have the time. When they did eventually get together, tempers flared, and Waters came back with a trade request. Evidently, like most star players, Waters feels the world revolves around him and woke up to the reality that it doesn't and never has.

Look, Haley is not a player's coach and may even be a prick, but maybe that's what's needed in KC. Chief players had it easy under Herman Edwards and Dick Vermeil because those two were player's coaches. Haley isn't, but that might just mean maybe that Waters needs to adapt and grow up a little.

For me, both of these scenarios beg the question "Isn't football the definitive 'tough guy' sport?" Don't guys play with broken bones, torn tendons, concussions, and some times even refuse to come out of a game even when they're badly hurt? Aren't they true warriors? 

I think that yes, most are, and that includes Watters. It's hard to believe that a player can handle playing in extreme pain but can't handle having hurt feelings.

Strength of character means the ability to overcome resentment of others, ultimately forgive, and move on.

The character of both these men will be tested in the near future.