Chicago's Jay Cutler Is a Bust

"Falling below expectations" is probably the easiest way to define a football player a "bust," but there are obviously shades of gray. What if a top-5 pick has a very strong career but never makes a Pro Bowl? Is he a bust? Or must he completely flop out of the league to gain such distinction? What if he was a high pick but many already expected him to struggle anyway?

JaMarcus Russell probably fits into the latter category best. The former first-overall pick was touted for his high upside but many bet the NFL odds he didn't have the work ethic to transition to the NFL. Now, we know, he's possibly headed for "Ryan Leaf Territory."

While Russell is the league's most high-profile bust candidate, there's another quarterback few are discussing that might soon find his name on potential bust lists: Jay Cutler.

Cutler's Thursday night performance was horrific and it should bring more attention to the fact that Cutler, honestly, hasn't been very good in Chicago. His five-interception effort gives him 17 on the season--which leads the NFL--and puts him on pace for 30 this season. You read that correctly. THIRTY. Cutler has turned the ball over in seven of his nine starts with Chicago, including four multi-turnover games.

Cutler's pedestrian 76 passer rating ranks 24th in the league, behind notable NFL superstars Matt Cassel, Chad Henne, Shaun Hill, Jason Campbell and Seneca Wallace. Oh, and of course, the guy the Bears gave up for Cutler--Kyle Orton (88.2).

"But Cutler is still young!" his defenders cry. "He needs time to develop!" Fair enough. Cutler is in just his fourth season, and his first with Chicago. But that argument loses some serious steam and you look at what Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan are doing in Baltimore and Atlanta, respectively. Of course, we haven't even discussed Cutler's career 21-25 record. he's never enjoyed a winning season in the NFL, let alone started a playoff game.

For a player who supposedly has All-Pro tools, the former first-round pick has come up fairly short, hasn't he? If you're a sports betting man, would you pick him to turn things around after Thursday's debacle? The quarterback has time to turn it around but, at the moment, he looks like nothing more than an average-to- sometimes-pretty-good quarterback.

And, depending on your definition, that might be enough to put Jay Cutler into the "bust" category.