Chicago Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler: Do Real Men Tweet?

As the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears returned to the field for the second half of Sunday’s NFC Championship game, Jay Cutler emerged from the tunnel last among his teammates.

During the halftime intermission, doctors examined his injured knee and decided to give him one last shot at perhaps the biggest game of his young career.  After one series, team doctors decided to pull Cutler from the game. 

While the extent of his injury remains a mystery, doctors suspect that Cutler suffers from a torn MCL.  The Medial Collateral Ligament is one of four ligaments that stabilizes the knee.  After Cutler realized the knee wasn’t holding up, doctors pulled the quarterback from the game.

Eventually, Cutler watched from the sidelines as the Packers went on to hoist the George S. Halas Trophy in Soldier Field.  A surprising, often exciting Bears’ season came to an end, but the most disappointing element of the day’s events just started.

Several current and former NFL players fired away at Cutler, questioning his toughness.  Here is a small sample of some of the postings.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones Drew wrote, “All I’m saying is that he can finish the game on a hurt knee.  I played the whole season on one.”

Darnell Dockett, Cardinals D-lineman, posted, “If I’m on Chicago team Jay Cutler has to wait till me and the team shower get dressed and leave before he comes in the locker room!”

All season long, Jay Cutler has operated behind a mediocre offensive line.  Cutler was the most sacked quarterback in the league.  Not once did Cutler ever call out any of his teammates.  After every hit, Cutler brushed himself off, got to his feet, and took the next snap. 

For fellow NFL players to call out a fellow player is sickening.  Since your team failed to reach the postseason, it is easy to sit from the comfort of your own home and spout off criticisms about a position they’ve never played.

Football, we are told, is a sport of real men.  Only the fastest, strongest, and toughest earn the privilege to strap on the helmet and take the field, especially at the professional level.

Since when do men hide behind their electronic devices and criticize an injured player? 

The sheer ignorance of the statements from fellow professional athletes is simply disgusting.  Fans and commentators, those of us who have never played the game at the pro level, lack a complete understanding of what effects an injury may have bur for fellow players to do that…

Perhaps a new definition of real men is in order.