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Jay Cutler (American football)
Encyclopedia
Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is a quarterback
for the Chicago Bears
of the National Football League
. He played football at Vanderbilt University
. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos
, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft
. He spent three seasons with the Broncos before he was traded to the Bears in 2009.
. Cutler attended Heritage Hills High School
in Lincoln City, Indiana
. He started
three years at quarterback, amassing a combined 26–1 record in his junior and senior years, including a perfect 15–0 during his senior year. Cutler and his team outscored opponents 746–85, including a 90-0 shutout at Pike Central
. During his senior year, Cutler connected on 122-of-202 passes (60.4%) for 2,252 yards with 31 touchdown
s, while rushing 65 times for 493 yards with 11 touchdowns. He also started at safety for three years, intercepting
nine passes as a senior, 12th overall in the state. His team's perfect record during his senior year included the school's first 3A state championship, where Heritage Hills beat Zionsville
in overtime
, 27–24. The most notable play of the game occurred when Cutler lateraled
the ball to the halfback
, Cole Seifrig, who then passed it to Cutler who ran it into the end zone
.
Cutler was named a first-team All-State selection by the Associated Press
as a senior. In addition to playing football
in high school, he was a first-team All-State selection in basketball
and garnered honorable mention All-State accolades as a shortstop
in baseball
.
Jay Cutler grew up as a Chicago Bears
fan during his youth in Indiana.
, the most starts by a quarterback in school history. He did not miss a game due to injury
. The Commodores were 11-35 during his tenure
, including going 5-27 versus the SEC. In 2002, Cutler set the school record for touchdowns and rushing yards by a freshman and rushed for more yards than any other Southeastern Conference
quarterback that year. The Associated Press honored him with a first-team freshman All-SEC selection. In 2004, as a junior, Cutler completed 61.0 percent of his passes, setting a school record, while throwing for 1,844 yards with 10 touchdowns and a career-low five interceptions.
The 2005 season, Cutler's final year of play at Vanderbilt, was his most successful. As an 11-game starter, he completed 273-of-462 passes (59.1%) for 3,073 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions, as he became the first Commodore to win the SEC Offensive Player of the Year (coaches and media) since 1967. With his senior-season performance, Cutler became the second Commodore to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season, while his 273 completions and 21 touchdowns ranked second on the school’s single-season list. He led the Commodores to victories over Wake Forest
, Arkansas
, Ole Miss
, Richmond
and Tennessee
. The Commodores also scored the second most points ever (42) laid upon the Florida Gators
at their current home field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
. Vanderbilt nearly upset the 13th-ranked Gators before falling 49–42 in the second overtime after a controversial excessive celebration call prevented the commodores from going for 2 at the end of regulation. Reflecting on Cutler's college career, former Denver Broncos
safety John Lynch
said, "If this guy can take a bunch of future doctors and lawyers and have them competing against the Florida Gators, this guy is a stud."
The Commodores ended their season, and Cutler's Vanderbilt career, at Tennessee against the Tennessee Volunteers with a 28–24 win. The victory was Vanderbilt's first over the Volunteers since 1982, the year before Cutler was born. The win also marked Vanderbilt's first victory over Tennessee on the Volunteers' home field in Knoxville since 1975. Cutler passed for three touchdowns and 315 yards during the game, becoming the first quarterback in school history to record four consecutive 300-yard passing performances. Cutler's final play in college was the game-winning (and streak-ending) touchdown pass to teammate Earl Bennett
against Tennessee. A finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
(nation’s top senior quarterback), Cutler was a first-team All-SEC pick by the league’s coaches and led the conference with a school-record 3,288 yards of total offense.
While at Vanderbilt, Cutler was a three-year captain
and four-year starter, setting school career records for total offense (9,953 yds.), touchdown passes (59), passing yards (8,697), pass completions (710), pass attempts (1,242) and combined touchdowns (76).
Cutler graduated from Vanderbilt in 2005 with a bachelor
's degree in human and organizational development.
of USC
and Vince Young
of Texas
. Some mock drafts as recent as April 1, 2006, had projected him as being selected ahead of Leinart, but behind Young. Still, other experts such as ESPN
's Chris Mortensen
and Ron Jaworski
tabbed him as the best quarterback available in the draft. Many scouts
believed he had better arm strength than Young and Leinart, and compared him to Brett Favre
for his arm, play style and gunslinger
attitude. At the 2006 NFL Scouting Combine, Cutler completed 23 repetitions of a 225-pound bench press
(more than some linemen) and ran a 40-yard dash in 4.76 seconds.
After attracting interest from the Oakland Raiders
, the Detroit Lions
, the Arizona Cardinals
and the Baltimore Ravens
, Cutler was selected by the Denver Broncos
with the 11th pick in the draft, after the Broncos acquired the pick from the St. Louis Rams
by trading their 15th and 68th overall picks. Many believed Cutler was chosen by the Broncos due to the lackluster performance in the previous season's AFC Championship Game by then-starting quarterback, Jake Plummer
. After the pick by Denver, Cutler said, "We had no warning. I think I knew about 15 seconds before everyone else did." Cutler, as predicted by most, became the third quarterback chosen, after Young (3rd overall) and Leinart (10th). He is the third first-round pick to come from Vanderbilt, preceded by Will Wolford
and Bill Wade. On July 27, 2006, Cutler agreed to terms on a six-year $48 million contract, which included $11 million in bonuses.
ahead of Bradlee Van Pelt
. He passed for more yards than any other rookie in the preseason.
On November 27, 2006, Shanahan officially announced that Cutler would replace Jake Plummer
as starting quarterback because, as Shanahan said, "I think he gives us the best chance to win now." This announcement capped weeks of speculation and rumors about Cutler's impending promotion to a starting role.
Cutler's regular-season debut was a 23–20 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks
on a frigid night on December 3. Cutler completed 10-of-21 passes for 143 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His first career NFL touchdown pass was to tight end
Stephen Alexander
in the second quarter of the game. His other touchdown pass occurred in the fourth quarter on a memorable 71-yard TD pass play to Brandon Marshall
, also a rookie, which tied the game 20–20. The play was one of the longest TD passes for a debut in NFL history and was also the second-longest pass play between two rookies in Broncos history.
On December 10, 2006, in a road loss against the San Diego Chargers
, Cutler connected with tight end Tony Scheffler
for two touchdowns in a span of 48 seconds, which tied for the fastest in league history that two rookies produced a pair of scoring passes.
Cutler's first win came in his third start on December 17, which was a 37–20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals
in Arizona. He finished the game 21-of-31 with 261 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a QB rating of 101.7. It was the highest single-game rating for a Broncos rookie QB since John Elway
posted a 117.4 rating against the Cleveland Browns
on December 4, 1983. One of Cutler's passing touchdowns in the game against Arizona was a 54-yard throw to Javon Walker
on the Broncos' third play of the game. The throw traveled 65 yards in the air. Shanahan said to the media, "You saw what he could do today. It doesn't take a genius out there to figure out this guy is very composed, can make all the throws and plays with a lot of confidence."
Cutler then led the Broncos to a Christmas Eve win over the Cincinnati Bengals
, 24–23, in his fourth start on the season. He went 12-of-23 with 179 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also directed the Broncos on a 99-yard drive in the third quarter that culminated on a Mike Bell two-yard touchdown run.
As a result of the two passing touchdowns in the game against the Bengals, Cutler became the first rookie QB in NFL history (second player overall, joining the Washington Redskins
' Mark Rypien
in 1988) to throw for at least two touchdowns in each of his first four games played. He also became just the second rookie in league history (fifth player overall) to throw at least two touchdown passes in each of his first four starts. The only other rookie to accomplish the feat was Dan Marino
in his 1983 rookie season.
The Broncos' quest to clinch a playoff berth came up short in the final game of the season, when they fell at home 26–23 in overtime to the San Francisco 49ers
. The loss dropped the Broncos to a 9–7 overall record and an uncharacteristic 4–4 record at home. Despite sustaining a concussion in the first half, Cutler finished 21-of-32 with 230 yards and a touchdown, and led Denver on a game-tying touchdown drive in the closing minutes of regulation to force overtime.
In five games played on the season, Cutler finished with a record of 2–3, and went 81-of-137 for 1,001 yards, 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, earning a passer rating of 88.5. He posted the second-highest TD percentage (6.6) and third-highest TD-to-INT ratio (1.8) among NFL rookies since 1970 with at least 125 passing attempts.
The 2007 NFL season
marked Cutler's first full season as the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos. In the first game of the season against the Buffalo Bills
, Cutler led Denver to a comeback win on a 12-play, 42-yard drive culminating in a Jason Elam
42-yard field goal
as time expired in the fourth quarter. Cutler's pass attempts (39), completions (23) and yards (304) for the game were career-highs at the time. He led Denver to their second straight comeback win the next week in the home opener against the Oakland Raiders. Late in regulation, Cutler moved the team 78 yards in 15 plays for the game-tying field goal with 2:18 remaining. The game went into overtime, where he engineered a 52-yard drive that led to another game-winning field goal by Elam. Cutler had a touchdown pass during the game, making him the first Broncos passer to begin his Broncos career with at least one touchdown pass in his first seven starts. Cutler's streak extended to nine games until a 41–3 home loss to the San Diego Chargers in the fifth game of the season. He recorded his first career rushing touchdown the previous week against the Indianapolis Colts
at Indianapolis in the third quarter.
After the bye week
in Week 6, the Broncos came out (after going 2–3 to start the season, with both wins coming on last-second Jason Elam field goals) and beat the 4–1 Pittsburgh Steelers
, 31–28 (again winning on a last-second Elam field goal). Cutler had a QB rating
of 106.7 during the game, as he completed 22-of-29 passes (career-high 75.9%) for 248 yards and a personal-best three touchdowns. He also rushed for a career-high 41 yards and a career-long run of 31 yards. Cutler was named NBC Sunday Night Football
's Co-Horse Trailer Player of the Game (joining Elam). His career-opening streak of 11 games with at least one interception came to an end the next week, when the Broncos were able to take the 6–1 Green Bay Packers
to overtime on a game-tying, 89-yard drive led by Cutler with 2:27 remaining (Elam kicked the tying field goal). However, Denver lost in overtime, 19–13, on Green Bay's first play from scrimmage. Cutler was knocked out early in the next game against the Detroit Lions
with a leg injury, handing over the reins to backup Patrick Ramsey
. The Broncos lost that game 44–7, although, with Cutler back for the next game, Denver was able to rebound for a 27–11 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs
at Arrowhead Stadium
.
The next week, in a Monday Night Football
home game against the Tennessee Titans
, Cutler faced fellow 2006 NFL Draft class quarterback Vince Young for the first ever time in the regular season. The Broncos won the game, 34–20. Cutler posted a 137.0 passer rating (the second best mark for his career), going 16-of-21 for 200 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Both of his touchdowns occurred on passing plays of over 40 yards, which made Cutler the first Broncos quarterback since John Elway in 1995 to throw for at least two touchdowns of more than 40 yards in one game. Denver set a franchise record with four touchdowns of longer than 40 yards in the win over the Titans. The victory improved the Broncos record to 5–5, moving them into a first place tie with the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West
.
The Broncos lost the next two games (thus, falling out of the first place tie with San Diego in the AFC West), but then went on to beat the Kansas City Chiefs at home in a blowout, 41–7. In the game, Cutler passed for four touchdowns and recorded a then career-best quarterback rating of 141.0.
Denver finished the regular season with a 7–9 record, missing the playoffs for a second straight year. Cutler started all 16 games in the season, completing 297-of-467 passes (63.6%) for 3,497 yards, 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He was the NFL’s 12th-ranked passer (88.1) and also had the tenth-most passing yards (3,497). Furthermore, Cutler was the league’s ninth-best third-down passer, with a 92.1 passer rating (73-of-125 for 901 yards, 8 TD and 3 INT). His 3,497 passing yards ranked as the seventh-best single-season performance in team history. He also had the third-best single-season completion percentage (63.6) in team history. Also, like his predecessor, Plummer, Cutler showed the ability to make big plays outside of the pocket, and to run when needed, rushing 44 times for 205 yards (about 4.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown on the season.
In late 2007, various experts were interviewed, stating that they believe Cutler to be the young quarterback most likely to reach the elite status along the lines of Peyton Manning
and Tom Brady
.
Following the 2007 season, Cutler, Brandon Marshall
and Tony Scheffler
went to Atlanta together to train and work on timing for the 2008 season
.
began, Cutler and tight end Daniel Graham
were voted offensive captains
by Broncos teammates.
Cutler started the season facing the Oakland Raiders in Oakland on Monday Night Football
. He completed 16-of-24 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns, en route to a 41–14 Broncos victory. His performance yielded the second-highest passer rating (137.5) in the league after the first week of the season. The Broncos netted 441 total yards while committing no turnovers in the season-opening win. The next week, Cutler and the Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers
in Denver, 39–38. Cutler went 36-of-50, with 350 yards passing and four touchdowns. His four touchdown throws in the game matched his career high for touchdown passes in a single game. One of those throws came with 24 seconds left in the game on 4th and 4 from San Diego's four-yard-line. He threw the touchdown to Eddie Royal
, who then caught a pass from Cutler on a two-point conversion, which helped seal a one-point win for Denver. The game was not without controversy, though. Cutler appeared to fumble the ball on the play just previous to the final touchdown. The ball was recovered by the Chargers, but was awarded back to the Broncos due to an inadvertent whistle by Referee Ed Hochuli
. Cutler followed his performance against the Chargers with another multi-touchdown game against the New Orleans Saints
, as part of a 34–32 home victory. He went 21-of-34, with 264 yards passing and two touchdowns. Cutler and the Broncos suffered their first defeat of the season in the next game—a 33–19 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs
. Cutler had his first multi-interception game of the season, as he was picked off twice. However, his overall performance in the month of September earned him AFC
Offensive Player of the Month honors for the first time in his career. He finished the month of September first in the AFC in completions (102), passing yards (1,275) and attempts (157), second in passing yards per attempt (8.12), third in passing touchdowns (9), third in quarterback rating (98.6), and fifth in completion percentage (65.0%). The Broncos had a 3–1 record in September and were in first place in the AFC West.
Cutler and the Broncos began the month of October with a home win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, 16–13. It was the second straight game the Broncos failed to score at least 20 points on offense after scoring more than 30 points in the first three games of the season. Cutler went 23-of-34 with 227 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. The win would prove to be the only victory for Cutler and the Broncos in October, as they lost three straight games afterwards. The first of the three consecutive losses came at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars
, as the Broncos went down, 24–17. Cutler passed for under 200 yards for the first time of the season, as he went 21-of-37 with 192 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The next loss came in a Monday Night Football
road matchup against the New England Patriots
, and New England blew out Denver, 41–7. Cutler injured his index finger
on his throwing hand (right hand) on the first offensive play of the game. He came out for one series and passed for a season-low 168 yards for the entire game. The Broncos next had a bye week
, then suffered their third straight defeat in October, as they lost at home to the Miami Dolphins
, 26–17. Cutler went 24-of-46 for 307 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. The three interceptions were a season-high for one game.
Following the three consecutive losses in October, Cutler and the Broncos began the month of November with a road win over the Cleveland Browns
in comeback fashion. The Broncos were at one point down, 23–10, in the second half of the game, but came back on the arm of Cutler, as he passed for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, leading to a 34–30 win. On Cutler's first fourth quarter touchdown, he hooked up with wide receiver Eddie Royal
on a 93-yard pass play. It was the longest pass play of Cutler's career and the fourth-longest touchdown in Broncos history. Cutler finished the game going 24-of-42 with 447 yards (career high), three touchdowns and one interception. He received AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career for his game against the Browns. He followed up his fourth quarter comeback performance from that game with another one in the Broncos next game, which was a road matchup with the Atlanta Falcons
. Cutler went 19-of-27 for 216 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, as he led Denver on another fourth quarter game-winning drive. With five and a half minutes left in the game, and the Broncos down, 20–17, Cutler threw a touchdown pass to Daniel Graham on a third-and-goal. The touchdown gave the Broncos a 24–20 lead, which proved to be the final score. The next week, the Broncos suffered their third consecutive home loss by going down to the Oakland Raiders, 31–10. Cutler failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in 11 games, as he went 16-of-37 with 204 yards and an interception. He did, however, tie Broncos quarterback John Elway for the fastest quarterback in team history to reach 3,000 yards passing for one season. Cutler garnered 3,036 passing yards through the first 11 games of the season. He and the Broncos won the next game, 34–17, on the road against the New York Jets
in a rainy and windy affair. The win was the Broncos' third consecutive road victory. Cutler went 27-of-43 with 357 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Cutler and the Broncos won their first game in December, and ended their three-game home losing streak, by defeating the Chiefs in Denver, 24–17. Cutler went 32-of-40 with 286 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His 80% completion percentage was his single-game high of the season. Cutler also engineered his fourth game-winning drive of the season (the seventh overall of his career) after leading the Broncos on a 95-yard drive, culminated by a go-ahead touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall
in the fourth quarter. In the next game of the season, the Broncos' three-game road winning streak was snapped, as they fell to the Carolina Panthers
, 30–20. Cutler went 21-of-33 with 172 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He failed to pass for over 200 yards in a game for the third time during the season. Cutler and the Broncos also lost the next game, this time at home, to Buffalo
, 30–23. Cutler went 25-of-45 with 359 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Cutler rushed for two touchdowns during the game. He also broke single-season franchise records held by former Bronco quarterbacks John Elway and Jake Plummer. Cutler broke Elway's record for completions (349) and Plummer's record for passing yards (4,089). Cutler and the Broncos closed out the 2008 regular season by losing their third consecutive game, as they fell to the San Diego Chargers
, 52–21, with the AFC West title on the line. The loss kept the Broncos out of the playoffs for the third straight season. Cutler went 33-of-49 with 316 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the game.
Cutler finished the season with career-highs in passing completions (384), passing attempts (616), passing yards (4,526), passing touchdowns (25), interceptions (18), rushing attempts (57) and rushing touchdowns (2). His passing yards, completions and attempts were all single-season franchise records for the Broncos. He also had the most 300-yard passing games (8) in team history. For the season, Cutler ranked third in the NFL in passing completions (first in the AFC), second in passing attempts (first in the AFC), third in passing yards (first in the AFC) and seventh in passing touchdowns (third in the AFC). Cutler was also selected as the FedEx Air Player of the Week
for his performances during Week 10, 13 and 14 of the season. Cutler finished third in fan voting for AFC quarterbacks in the 2009 Pro Bowl
. Three quarterbacks are chosen to play in the game. Fan voting accounts for one-third of the total voting (players and coaches account for the other two-thirds). He was officially picked to play in his first Pro Bowl
when selections were announced on December 16, 2008. Cutler was chosen as a reserve.
In Hawaii before the Pro Bowl, Cutler became a victim to a prank organized by fellow Pro Bowlers, Peyton Manning
, Nick Mangold
, and Kris Dielman
. He was tossed into a pool, and even though Manning remembered to swipe away his cell phone, Cutler's blood sugar
monitor was ruined. A replacement one was found at a drugstore, and Cutler played without incident.
After the 2008 season, Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan
was fired and replaced by Josh McDaniels
, previously the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots
. On February 28, ESPN reported that the Broncos considered trading Cutler in a three-way trade
with the New England Patriots and either the Detroit Lions
or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. The deal would have sent Cutler to Detroit or Tampa Bay while New England's quarterback Matt Cassel
would join the Broncos and be reunited with his former coach, McDaniels. The Broncos said that they did not initiate the trade talks, but instead listened to offers. Cutler was reportedly upset about the trade possibility. This prompted McDaniels to make a statement that Cutler would definitely not be traded by the Broncos.
Cutler believed McDaniels misled him about the trade talks and said he believed he would be traded before April's NFL Draft.
On March 15, he listed his Colorado
home for sale; later that day Cutler confirmed that he had officially asked the Broncos to trade him. On March 31, 2009, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen
announced that the team would accommodate his request and attempt to trade Cutler.
On April 2, Cutler was traded to the Chicago Bears
along with a fifth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
. In return, the Broncos received quarterback Kyle Orton
, the Bears' first- and third-round selections in 2009, and the Bears' first-round pick in 2010
.
On October 20, Cutler and the Bears came to terms on a two-year contract extension worth $30 million. Cutler's contract will run up to 2013.
Cutler was the subject of most of the praise and criticism during the Chicago Bears' mercurial season. After starting 3-1, the Bears lost eight of the next ten games (during which time he had a INT-TD ratio of 11:20 and led the NFL in turnovers). During Week 10, the Bears traveled to San Francisco where Cutler threw a career-high 5 interceptions with zero touchdowns. Five weeks later, they traveled to Baltimore where Cutler was 10-of-27, throwing for only 94 yards. Even though he threw for two touchdowns, he had four interceptions leaving him with a passer rating of 7.9. In the last two games of the season, however, the Bears defeated division rivals Minnesota Vikings
and Detroit Lions
. Cutler finished the season with 27 TD, 26 INT, 3,666 yards passing, and a passer rating of 76.8. His 26 interceptions led the league.
in Mike Martz
. In spending the 2009 season as a studio analyst, Martz was a noted critic of Cutler, but both he and Cutler professed excitement for working together. Martz had become famous as offensive coordinator and head coach of the St. Louis Rams
, where his high-powered offense was known as "The Greatest Show on Turf
."
Cutler played led the Bears to a 3-0 start, throwing six touchdowns and only two interceptions. However, in week 4 Cutler was sacked nine times in the first half against the New York Giants
, and sustained a concussion. He would miss the Week 5 game against the Carolina Panthers
. When he returned, the Bears lost two home games to the Seattle Seahawks
and Washington Redskins
, leaving the Bears at 4-3 at their bye week.
Following the bye week, the Bears offensive line play improved and Martz showed more commitment to the running game. The Bears won seven of the remaining nine games to finish 11-5, and secured the NFC North Division title and a first-round bye. Cutler finished the season with 3,274 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and 232 rushing yards.
Cutler made his playoff debut against the Seattle Seahawks
in the divisional round of the 2010 NFC playoffs. He finished with 274 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 43 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns in the Bears 35-24 win.
In the NFC Championship Game, Cutler completed 6-of-14 passes for 80 yards and an interception. After the Bears' first offensive series of the third quarter, Cutler sat out the remainder of the game with a knee injury. The Bears lost to the Green Bay Packers 21-14. The Bears did not make an immediate announcement about Cutler's condition, allowing speculation to grow. In possibly the NFL’s first player-on-player social media
attack, Cutler was being criticized for not returning within seconds after leaving the game instead of waiting for explanations in postgame media sessions. Bears coach Lovie Smith
later stated that the choice was not Cutler's decision. Smith made the decision to bench Cutler after consulting the medical and training staff. An MRI revealed the following day that he had sprained his MCL
. Troy Aikman
, a sportscaster
on Fox
and a Hall of Fame
quarterback, believes the widespread reaction to Cutler was indicative of the attitude he has shown in his career.
Cutler broke the thumb on his throwing hand. The Bears had started the season 7-3 prior to the injury.
During the 2007 offseason, Cutler started the Jay Cutler Foundation, which partnered with Mile High United Way’s Youth Success Initiative to help at-risk youth overcome obstacles and graduate from high school.
On May 1, 2008, Cutler announced that he had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes
and needs daily insulin
shots. He is responding well with the insulin treatments.
Cutler works with Dedicated to Diabetes, which is a Denver-based organization that aims to improve public knowledge about diabetes.
For the 2009 season, Cutler teamed up with Eli Lilly and Company
. For every touchdown pass Cutler threw during the 2009 season, Lilly sent a child to diabetes camp by donating $1,000 to the ADA’s “Camp Scholarship” fund—roughly the cost of providing tuition for one child to attend a week of diabetes camp. For every pass Cutler completed in 2009, Lilly donated $100 to the ADA Camp Scholarship fund to allow even more kids the chance to attend camp the following summer.
Cutler was engaged to reality star Kristin Cavallari
until he called off their engagement in July 2011. In November 2011, the couple announced that they are again engaged.
episode, "Guitar Queer-o
." The show is set in Colorado, and the characters are avid Broncos fans. Two characters, Stan
and Kyle
, meet Cutler and say, "Nice to meet you. I mean, you kinda suck, but my dad says you might be good some day." Cutler himself later responded to the episode, saying, "It was cool. I thought it was funny. They can make fun of me if they want to."
Cutler, along with Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler
and former Broncos backup quarterback Preston Parsons
, took part in an episode of Oprah's Big Give
filmed in Denver in 2007. The episode aired on ABC
on March 9, 2008.
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played football at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. He spent three seasons with the Broncos before he was traded to the Bears in 2009.
Early years
Jay Cutler was born in Santa Claus, IndianaSanta Claus, Indiana
Santa Claus is a town in Carter, Clay and Harrison townships, Spencer County in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana, between Interstate 64 and the Ohio River. The population was 2,041 at the 2000 census.Santa Claus was established in 1854...
. Cutler attended Heritage Hills High School
Heritage Hills High School
Heritage Hills High School is a grade nine through twelve public high school located in Lincoln City, Indiana in the United States. The school's principal is Nick Alcorn, and its vice-principal is Jeff Cochren. Heritage Hills High School has a population of about 800 students and about 100 faculty...
in Lincoln City, Indiana
Lincoln City, Indiana
Lincoln City is an unincorporated community in Carter Township, Spencer County in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana. It lies five minutes south of Interstate 64, northeast of Evansville, and approximately twenty miles north of the Ohio River. It was laid out in 1872 on the site...
. He started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
three years at quarterback, amassing a combined 26–1 record in his junior and senior years, including a perfect 15–0 during his senior year. Cutler and his team outscored opponents 746–85, including a 90-0 shutout at Pike Central
Pike Central High School
Pike Central is the only high school in Pike County, Indiana.This past October , Pike Central High School was selected as one of 14 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams and one of only 4 teams to present on stage at the convention. -- a program that grants selected high schools up to $10,000 to invent...
. During his senior year, Cutler connected on 122-of-202 passes (60.4%) for 2,252 yards with 31 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, while rushing 65 times for 493 yards with 11 touchdowns. He also started at safety for three years, intercepting
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
nine passes as a senior, 12th overall in the state. His team's perfect record during his senior year included the school's first 3A state championship, where Heritage Hills beat Zionsville
Zionsville, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 8,775 people, 3,063 households, and 2,407 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,512.9 people per square mile . There were 3,169 housing units at an average density of 546.4 per square mile...
in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
, 27–24. The most notable play of the game occurred when Cutler lateraled
Lateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
the ball to the halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
, Cole Seifrig, who then passed it to Cutler who ran it into the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
.
Cutler was named a first-team All-State selection by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
as a senior. In addition to playing football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
in high school, he was a first-team All-State selection in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and garnered honorable mention All-State accolades as a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
.
Jay Cutler grew up as a Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
fan during his youth in Indiana.
College career
Cutler attended Vanderbilt University, where he started all 45 career games that he played for the CommodoresVanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the NCAA athletic teams of Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university fields 16 varsity teams , 14 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference...
, the most starts by a quarterback in school history. He did not miss a game due to injury
Injury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...
. The Commodores were 11-35 during his tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
, including going 5-27 versus the SEC. In 2002, Cutler set the school record for touchdowns and rushing yards by a freshman and rushed for more yards than any other Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
quarterback that year. The Associated Press honored him with a first-team freshman All-SEC selection. In 2004, as a junior, Cutler completed 61.0 percent of his passes, setting a school record, while throwing for 1,844 yards with 10 touchdowns and a career-low five interceptions.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons football
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represents Wake Forest University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest plays its home football games at BB&T Field....
, Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
, Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
and Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
. The Commodores also scored the second most points ever (42) laid upon the Florida Gators
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
at their current home field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly...
. Vanderbilt nearly upset the 13th-ranked Gators before falling 49–42 in the second overtime after a controversial excessive celebration call prevented the commodores from going for 2 at the end of regulation. Reflecting on Cutler's college career, former Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
safety John Lynch
John Lynch (American football)
John Terrence Lynch, Jr. is a former National Football League strong safety and current NFL on Fox color commentator. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford.A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super...
said, "If this guy can take a bunch of future doctors and lawyers and have them competing against the Florida Gators, this guy is a stud."
The Commodores ended their season, and Cutler's Vanderbilt career, at Tennessee against the Tennessee Volunteers with a 28–24 win. The victory was Vanderbilt's first over the Volunteers since 1982, the year before Cutler was born. The win also marked Vanderbilt's first victory over Tennessee on the Volunteers' home field in Knoxville since 1975. Cutler passed for three touchdowns and 315 yards during the game, becoming the first quarterback in school history to record four consecutive 300-yard passing performances. Cutler's final play in college was the game-winning (and streak-ending) touchdown pass to teammate Earl Bennett
Earl Bennett
Earl Bennett is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
against Tennessee. A finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
(nation’s top senior quarterback), Cutler was a first-team All-SEC pick by the league’s coaches and led the conference with a school-record 3,288 yards of total offense.
While at Vanderbilt, Cutler was a three-year captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
and four-year starter, setting school career records for total offense (9,953 yds.), touchdown passes (59), passing yards (8,697), pass completions (710), pass attempts (1,242) and combined touchdowns (76).
Cutler graduated from Vanderbilt in 2005 with a bachelor
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...
's degree in human and organizational development.
Awards and honors
- The Sporting NewsThe Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
third-team freshman All-AmericaAll-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n (2002) - Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
first-team freshman All-SECSoutheastern ConferenceThe Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(2002) - First-team All-SEC (2005)
- SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2005)
- Johnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardThe Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
finalist (2005)
Records
Vanderbilt University school career records:- Total offense: 9,953
- Touchdown passes: 59
- Passing yards: 8,697
- Pass completions: 710
- Pass attempts: 1,242
- Combined touchdowns: 76
Statistics
| |College College football College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities... statistics (Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Commodores football The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference... ) |
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |Rushing | |||||||||||||
| Year | CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | YPA | TD | INT | SACK | EFF | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD |
| 2002 | 103 | 212 | 48.6 | 1433 | 6.8 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 112.4 | 123 | 393 | 3.2 | 9 |
| 2003 | 187 | 327 | 57.2 | 2347 | 7.2 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 127.7 | 115 | 299 | 2.6 | 1 |
| 2004 | 147 | 241 | 61.0 | 1844 | 7.7 | 10 | 5 | 24 | 134.8 | 109 | 349 | 3.2 | 6 |
| 2005 | 273 | 462 | 59.1 | 3073 | 6.7 | 21 | 9 | 23 | 126.1 | 106 | 215 | 2.0 | 1 |
2006 NFL Draft
Cutler was expected to be a high draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and was ranked by many experts as the third-best quarterback prospect, after Matt LeinartMatt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
of USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. Some mock drafts as recent as April 1, 2006, had projected him as being selected ahead of Leinart, but behind Young. Still, other experts such as ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Chris Mortensen
Chris Mortensen
Chris "Mort" Mortensen , an award-winning journalist, provides reports for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com...
and Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
tabbed him as the best quarterback available in the draft. Many scouts
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
believed he had better arm strength than Young and Leinart, and compared him to Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
for his arm, play style and gunslinger
Gunslinger
Gunfighter, also gunslinger , is a 20th century word, used in cinema or literature, referring to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun...
attitude. At the 2006 NFL Scouting Combine, Cutler completed 23 repetitions of a 225-pound bench press
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
(more than some linemen) and ran a 40-yard dash in 4.76 seconds.
After attracting interest from the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, Cutler was selected by the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with the 11th pick in the draft, after the Broncos acquired the pick from the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
by trading their 15th and 68th overall picks. Many believed Cutler was chosen by the Broncos due to the lackluster performance in the previous season's AFC Championship Game by then-starting quarterback, Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
. After the pick by Denver, Cutler said, "We had no warning. I think I knew about 15 seconds before everyone else did." Cutler, as predicted by most, became the third quarterback chosen, after Young (3rd overall) and Leinart (10th). He is the third first-round pick to come from Vanderbilt, preceded by Will Wolford
Will Wolford
William Charles Wolford is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers....
and Bill Wade. On July 27, 2006, Cutler agreed to terms on a six-year $48 million contract, which included $11 million in bonuses.
| Pre-draft measureables | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-3¼ * | 226 * | 4.77 * | 1.61 * | 2.79 * | 4.25 * | 7.10 * | 37" * | X | 23 * | 26 * | |||||||||
| * represents NFL Combine NFL Combine The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general... —"X" Denotes "No Data" or "Did Not Participate" |
|||||||||||||||||||
2006 season
After a strong training camp in 2006, Cutler was promoted from third to second on the Broncos' quarterback depth chartDepth chart
In sports, a depth chart is used to show the placements of the starting players and the secondary players. Generally a starting player will be listed first or on top while a back-up will be listed below...
ahead of Bradlee Van Pelt
Bradlee Van Pelt
Bradlee Van Pelt is an American football quarterback and safety who currently plays for Leicester Falcons in the United Kingdom. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft, and was also a member of the Houston Texans...
. He passed for more yards than any other rookie in the preseason.
On November 27, 2006, Shanahan officially announced that Cutler would replace Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
as starting quarterback because, as Shanahan said, "I think he gives us the best chance to win now." This announcement capped weeks of speculation and rumors about Cutler's impending promotion to a starting role.
Cutler's regular-season debut was a 23–20 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
on a frigid night on December 3. Cutler completed 10-of-21 passes for 143 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His first career NFL touchdown pass was to tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Stephen Alexander
Stephen Alexander
Stephen Todd Alexander is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.Alexander was selected to the Pro Bowl while with the Redskins in 2000...
in the second quarter of the game. His other touchdown pass occurred in the fourth quarter on a memorable 71-yard TD pass play to Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...
, also a rookie, which tied the game 20–20. The play was one of the longest TD passes for a debut in NFL history and was also the second-longest pass play between two rookies in Broncos history.
On December 10, 2006, in a road loss against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Cutler connected with tight end Tony Scheffler
Tony Scheffler
-Denver Broncos:Scheffler was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. After seeing limited playing time early in the season, Scheffler saw increased playing time and production after Jay Cutler was inserted as the Broncos starting quarterback on December 3, 2006,...
for two touchdowns in a span of 48 seconds, which tied for the fastest in league history that two rookies produced a pair of scoring passes.
Cutler's first win came in his third start on December 17, which was a 37–20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Arizona. He finished the game 21-of-31 with 261 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a QB rating of 101.7. It was the highest single-game rating for a Broncos rookie QB since John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
posted a 117.4 rating against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on December 4, 1983. One of Cutler's passing touchdowns in the game against Arizona was a 54-yard throw to Javon Walker
Javon Walker
Javon Lataff Walker is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers 20th overall of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
on the Broncos' third play of the game. The throw traveled 65 yards in the air. Shanahan said to the media, "You saw what he could do today. It doesn't take a genius out there to figure out this guy is very composed, can make all the throws and plays with a lot of confidence."
Cutler then led the Broncos to a Christmas Eve win over the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, 24–23, in his fourth start on the season. He went 12-of-23 with 179 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also directed the Broncos on a 99-yard drive in the third quarter that culminated on a Mike Bell two-yard touchdown run.
As a result of the two passing touchdowns in the game against the Bengals, Cutler became the first rookie QB in NFL history (second player overall, joining the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
' Mark Rypien
Mark Rypien
Mark Robert Rypien is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He is the first Canadian-born quarterback to start in the NFL.-Biography:...
in 1988) to throw for at least two touchdowns in each of his first four games played. He also became just the second rookie in league history (fifth player overall) to throw at least two touchdown passes in each of his first four starts. The only other rookie to accomplish the feat was Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
in his 1983 rookie season.
The Broncos' quest to clinch a playoff berth came up short in the final game of the season, when they fell at home 26–23 in overtime to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. The loss dropped the Broncos to a 9–7 overall record and an uncharacteristic 4–4 record at home. Despite sustaining a concussion in the first half, Cutler finished 21-of-32 with 230 yards and a touchdown, and led Denver on a game-tying touchdown drive in the closing minutes of regulation to force overtime.
In five games played on the season, Cutler finished with a record of 2–3, and went 81-of-137 for 1,001 yards, 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, earning a passer rating of 88.5. He posted the second-highest TD percentage (6.6) and third-highest TD-to-INT ratio (1.8) among NFL rookies since 1970 with at least 125 passing attempts.
2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
marked Cutler's first full season as the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos. In the first game of the season against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Cutler led Denver to a comeback win on a 12-play, 42-yard drive culminating in a Jason Elam
Jason Elam
Jason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
42-yard field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
as time expired in the fourth quarter. Cutler's pass attempts (39), completions (23) and yards (304) for the game were career-highs at the time. He led Denver to their second straight comeback win the next week in the home opener against the Oakland Raiders. Late in regulation, Cutler moved the team 78 yards in 15 plays for the game-tying field goal with 2:18 remaining. The game went into overtime, where he engineered a 52-yard drive that led to another game-winning field goal by Elam. Cutler had a touchdown pass during the game, making him the first Broncos passer to begin his Broncos career with at least one touchdown pass in his first seven starts. Cutler's streak extended to nine games until a 41–3 home loss to the San Diego Chargers in the fifth game of the season. He recorded his first career rushing touchdown the previous week against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
at Indianapolis in the third quarter.
After the bye week
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
in Week 6, the Broncos came out (after going 2–3 to start the season, with both wins coming on last-second Jason Elam field goals) and beat the 4–1 Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, 31–28 (again winning on a last-second Elam field goal). Cutler had a QB rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 106.7 during the game, as he completed 22-of-29 passes (career-high 75.9%) for 248 yards and a personal-best three touchdowns. He also rushed for a career-high 41 yards and a career-long run of 31 yards. Cutler was named NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
's Co-Horse Trailer Player of the Game (joining Elam). His career-opening streak of 11 games with at least one interception came to an end the next week, when the Broncos were able to take the 6–1 Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
to overtime on a game-tying, 89-yard drive led by Cutler with 2:27 remaining (Elam kicked the tying field goal). However, Denver lost in overtime, 19–13, on Green Bay's first play from scrimmage. Cutler was knocked out early in the next game against the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
with a leg injury, handing over the reins to backup Patrick Ramsey
Patrick Ramsey
Patrick Allen Ramsey is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins 32nd overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
. The Broncos lost that game 44–7, although, with Cutler back for the next game, Denver was able to rebound for a 27–11 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
.
The next week, in a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
home game against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, Cutler faced fellow 2006 NFL Draft class quarterback Vince Young for the first ever time in the regular season. The Broncos won the game, 34–20. Cutler posted a 137.0 passer rating (the second best mark for his career), going 16-of-21 for 200 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Both of his touchdowns occurred on passing plays of over 40 yards, which made Cutler the first Broncos quarterback since John Elway in 1995 to throw for at least two touchdowns of more than 40 yards in one game. Denver set a franchise record with four touchdowns of longer than 40 yards in the win over the Titans. The victory improved the Broncos record to 5–5, moving them into a first place tie with the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West
AFC West
The AFC West is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference, currently comprising the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders.-History:...
.
The Broncos lost the next two games (thus, falling out of the first place tie with San Diego in the AFC West), but then went on to beat the Kansas City Chiefs at home in a blowout, 41–7. In the game, Cutler passed for four touchdowns and recorded a then career-best quarterback rating of 141.0.
Denver finished the regular season with a 7–9 record, missing the playoffs for a second straight year. Cutler started all 16 games in the season, completing 297-of-467 passes (63.6%) for 3,497 yards, 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He was the NFL’s 12th-ranked passer (88.1) and also had the tenth-most passing yards (3,497). Furthermore, Cutler was the league’s ninth-best third-down passer, with a 92.1 passer rating (73-of-125 for 901 yards, 8 TD and 3 INT). His 3,497 passing yards ranked as the seventh-best single-season performance in team history. He also had the third-best single-season completion percentage (63.6) in team history. Also, like his predecessor, Plummer, Cutler showed the ability to make big plays outside of the pocket, and to run when needed, rushing 44 times for 205 yards (about 4.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown on the season.
In late 2007, various experts were interviewed, stating that they believe Cutler to be the young quarterback most likely to reach the elite status along the lines of Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
and Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
.
Following the 2007 season, Cutler, Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...
and Tony Scheffler
Tony Scheffler
-Denver Broncos:Scheffler was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. After seeing limited playing time early in the season, Scheffler saw increased playing time and production after Jay Cutler was inserted as the Broncos starting quarterback on December 3, 2006,...
went to Atlanta together to train and work on timing for the 2008 season
2008 Denver Broncos season
The 2008 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 49th season for the team . They improved from their 7–9 record from 2007 but failed to make the playoffs with an 8–8 record...
.
2008 season
Before the 2008 regular season2008 Denver Broncos season
The 2008 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 49th season for the team . They improved from their 7–9 record from 2007 but failed to make the playoffs with an 8–8 record...
began, Cutler and tight end Daniel Graham
Daniel Graham
Daniel Lawrence Grahamhttp://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GrahDa00.htm is an American football tight end for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
were voted offensive captains
National Football League team captains
In the National Football League, the team captain designation is a team-appointed position that designates certain players as leaders on and off the field. The captains program was implemented by the NFL Player Advisory Council established by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in conjunction with the...
by Broncos teammates.
Cutler started the season facing the Oakland Raiders in Oakland on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. He completed 16-of-24 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns, en route to a 41–14 Broncos victory. His performance yielded the second-highest passer rating (137.5) in the league after the first week of the season. The Broncos netted 441 total yards while committing no turnovers in the season-opening win. The next week, Cutler and the Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Denver, 39–38. Cutler went 36-of-50, with 350 yards passing and four touchdowns. His four touchdown throws in the game matched his career high for touchdown passes in a single game. One of those throws came with 24 seconds left in the game on 4th and 4 from San Diego's four-yard-line. He threw the touchdown to Eddie Royal
Eddie Royal
William Edward "Eddie" Royal is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
, who then caught a pass from Cutler on a two-point conversion, which helped seal a one-point win for Denver. The game was not without controversy, though. Cutler appeared to fumble the ball on the play just previous to the final touchdown. The ball was recovered by the Chargers, but was awarded back to the Broncos due to an inadvertent whistle by Referee Ed Hochuli
Ed Hochuli
Edward G. Hochuli is an attorney for the firm of Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. since 1983, and better known as an American football official in the National Football League since the 1990 NFL season. His uniform number is 85...
. Cutler followed his performance against the Chargers with another multi-touchdown game against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, as part of a 34–32 home victory. He went 21-of-34, with 264 yards passing and two touchdowns. Cutler and the Broncos suffered their first defeat of the season in the next game—a 33–19 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. Cutler had his first multi-interception game of the season, as he was picked off twice. However, his overall performance in the month of September earned him AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Offensive Player of the Month honors for the first time in his career. He finished the month of September first in the AFC in completions (102), passing yards (1,275) and attempts (157), second in passing yards per attempt (8.12), third in passing touchdowns (9), third in quarterback rating (98.6), and fifth in completion percentage (65.0%). The Broncos had a 3–1 record in September and were in first place in the AFC West.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, 16–13. It was the second straight game the Broncos failed to score at least 20 points on offense after scoring more than 30 points in the first three games of the season. Cutler went 23-of-34 with 227 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. The win would prove to be the only victory for Cutler and the Broncos in October, as they lost three straight games afterwards. The first of the three consecutive losses came at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, as the Broncos went down, 24–17. Cutler passed for under 200 yards for the first time of the season, as he went 21-of-37 with 192 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The next loss came in a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
road matchup against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, and New England blew out Denver, 41–7. Cutler injured his index finger
Index finger
The index finger, , is the first finger and the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the first and third digits, between the thumb and the middle finger...
on his throwing hand (right hand) on the first offensive play of the game. He came out for one series and passed for a season-low 168 yards for the entire game. The Broncos next had a bye week
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
, then suffered their third straight defeat in October, as they lost at home to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 26–17. Cutler went 24-of-46 for 307 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. The three interceptions were a season-high for one game.
Following the three consecutive losses in October, Cutler and the Broncos began the month of November with a road win over the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in comeback fashion. The Broncos were at one point down, 23–10, in the second half of the game, but came back on the arm of Cutler, as he passed for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, leading to a 34–30 win. On Cutler's first fourth quarter touchdown, he hooked up with wide receiver Eddie Royal
Eddie Royal
William Edward "Eddie" Royal is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
on a 93-yard pass play. It was the longest pass play of Cutler's career and the fourth-longest touchdown in Broncos history. Cutler finished the game going 24-of-42 with 447 yards (career high), three touchdowns and one interception. He received AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career for his game against the Browns. He followed up his fourth quarter comeback performance from that game with another one in the Broncos next game, which was a road matchup with the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Cutler went 19-of-27 for 216 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, as he led Denver on another fourth quarter game-winning drive. With five and a half minutes left in the game, and the Broncos down, 20–17, Cutler threw a touchdown pass to Daniel Graham on a third-and-goal. The touchdown gave the Broncos a 24–20 lead, which proved to be the final score. The next week, the Broncos suffered their third consecutive home loss by going down to the Oakland Raiders, 31–10. Cutler failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in 11 games, as he went 16-of-37 with 204 yards and an interception. He did, however, tie Broncos quarterback John Elway for the fastest quarterback in team history to reach 3,000 yards passing for one season. Cutler garnered 3,036 passing yards through the first 11 games of the season. He and the Broncos won the next game, 34–17, on the road against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a rainy and windy affair. The win was the Broncos' third consecutive road victory. Cutler went 27-of-43 with 357 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Cutler and the Broncos won their first game in December, and ended their three-game home losing streak, by defeating the Chiefs in Denver, 24–17. Cutler went 32-of-40 with 286 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His 80% completion percentage was his single-game high of the season. Cutler also engineered his fourth game-winning drive of the season (the seventh overall of his career) after leading the Broncos on a 95-yard drive, culminated by a go-ahead touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...
in the fourth quarter. In the next game of the season, the Broncos' three-game road winning streak was snapped, as they fell to the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, 30–20. Cutler went 21-of-33 with 172 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He failed to pass for over 200 yards in a game for the third time during the season. Cutler and the Broncos also lost the next game, this time at home, to Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, 30–23. Cutler went 25-of-45 with 359 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Cutler rushed for two touchdowns during the game. He also broke single-season franchise records held by former Bronco quarterbacks John Elway and Jake Plummer. Cutler broke Elway's record for completions (349) and Plummer's record for passing yards (4,089). Cutler and the Broncos closed out the 2008 regular season by losing their third consecutive game, as they fell to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 52–21, with the AFC West title on the line. The loss kept the Broncos out of the playoffs for the third straight season. Cutler went 33-of-49 with 316 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the game.
Cutler finished the season with career-highs in passing completions (384), passing attempts (616), passing yards (4,526), passing touchdowns (25), interceptions (18), rushing attempts (57) and rushing touchdowns (2). His passing yards, completions and attempts were all single-season franchise records for the Broncos. He also had the most 300-yard passing games (8) in team history. For the season, Cutler ranked third in the NFL in passing completions (first in the AFC), second in passing attempts (first in the AFC), third in passing yards (first in the AFC) and seventh in passing touchdowns (third in the AFC). Cutler was also selected as the FedEx Air Player of the Week
FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week
Every week during the NFL season, six finalists are chosen for the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week award, 3 nominated as the FedEx Air player and 3 nominated as the FedEx Ground player , online at...
for his performances during Week 10, 13 and 14 of the season. Cutler finished third in fan voting for AFC quarterbacks in the 2009 Pro Bowl
2009 Pro Bowl
The 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
. Three quarterbacks are chosen to play in the game. Fan voting accounts for one-third of the total voting (players and coaches account for the other two-thirds). He was officially picked to play in his first Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
when selections were announced on December 16, 2008. Cutler was chosen as a reserve.
In Hawaii before the Pro Bowl, Cutler became a victim to a prank organized by fellow Pro Bowlers, Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, Nick Mangold
Nick Mangold
-New York Jets:Replacing Kevin Mawae at center, Mangold had a good rookie season, allowing only 0.5 sacks, committed only 3 penalties and made all the line calls. Mangold was considered to be the best prospect at center in the last 15 years according to NFL draft expert Mike Mayock...
, and Kris Dielman
Kris Dielman
Kristopher M. Dielman is an American football guard who currently plays for the San Diego Chargers.-High school and college career:...
. He was tossed into a pool, and even though Manning remembered to swipe away his cell phone, Cutler's blood sugar
Blood sugar
The blood sugar concentration or blood glucose level is the amount of glucose present in the blood of a human or animal. Normally in mammals, the body maintains the blood glucose level at a reference range between about 3.6 and 5.8 mM , or 64.8 and 104.4 mg/dL...
monitor was ruined. A replacement one was found at a drugstore, and Cutler played without incident.
2009 season
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
was fired and replaced by Josh McDaniels
Josh McDaniels
Josh McDaniels is the former head coach of the Denver Broncos and currently the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. He previously served as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots...
, previously the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. On February 28, ESPN reported that the Broncos considered trading Cutler in a three-way trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
with the New England Patriots and either the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. The deal would have sent Cutler to Detroit or Tampa Bay while New England's quarterback Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
would join the Broncos and be reunited with his former coach, McDaniels. The Broncos said that they did not initiate the trade talks, but instead listened to offers. Cutler was reportedly upset about the trade possibility. This prompted McDaniels to make a statement that Cutler would definitely not be traded by the Broncos.
Cutler believed McDaniels misled him about the trade talks and said he believed he would be traded before April's NFL Draft.
On March 15, he listed his Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
home for sale; later that day Cutler confirmed that he had officially asked the Broncos to trade him. On March 31, 2009, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen
Pat Bowlen
Patrick Dennis Bowlen is the Majority Owner, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the Denver Broncos. The Bowlen Family, including his two brothers and sister, purchased the team from Edgar Kaiser in 1984 and saved the team from possible bankruptcy.-Biography:Pat's father, Paul D...
announced that the team would accommodate his request and attempt to trade Cutler.
On April 2, Cutler was traded to the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
along with a fifth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. In return, the Broncos received quarterback Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, the Bears' first- and third-round selections in 2009, and the Bears' first-round pick in 2010
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
.
On October 20, Cutler and the Bears came to terms on a two-year contract extension worth $30 million. Cutler's contract will run up to 2013.
Cutler was the subject of most of the praise and criticism during the Chicago Bears' mercurial season. After starting 3-1, the Bears lost eight of the next ten games (during which time he had a INT-TD ratio of 11:20 and led the NFL in turnovers). During Week 10, the Bears traveled to San Francisco where Cutler threw a career-high 5 interceptions with zero touchdowns. Five weeks later, they traveled to Baltimore where Cutler was 10-of-27, throwing for only 94 yards. Even though he threw for two touchdowns, he had four interceptions leaving him with a passer rating of 7.9. In the last two games of the season, however, the Bears defeated division rivals Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. Cutler finished the season with 27 TD, 26 INT, 3,666 yards passing, and a passer rating of 76.8. His 26 interceptions led the league.
2010 season
Following the 2009 season, the Bears hired a new offensive coordinatorOffensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
in Mike Martz
Mike Martz
Michael Martz is a former NFL head coach and currently the offensive coordinator for the National Football League's Chicago Bears....
. In spending the 2009 season as a studio analyst, Martz was a noted critic of Cutler, but both he and Cutler professed excitement for working together. Martz had become famous as offensive coordinator and head coach of the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, where his high-powered offense was known as "The Greatest Show on Turf
The Greatest Show on Turf
"The Greatest Show on Turf" was the nickname for the St. Louis Rams' considerably talented and famous record-breaking offense during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 National Football League seasons. The offense was designed by attack oriented offensive coordinator Mike Martz who advocated an unrelenting...
."
Cutler played led the Bears to a 3-0 start, throwing six touchdowns and only two interceptions. However, in week 4 Cutler was sacked nine times in the first half against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and sustained a concussion. He would miss the Week 5 game against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. When he returned, the Bears lost two home games to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, leaving the Bears at 4-3 at their bye week.
Following the bye week, the Bears offensive line play improved and Martz showed more commitment to the running game. The Bears won seven of the remaining nine games to finish 11-5, and secured the NFC North Division title and a first-round bye. Cutler finished the season with 3,274 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and 232 rushing yards.
Cutler made his playoff debut against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in the divisional round of the 2010 NFC playoffs. He finished with 274 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 43 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns in the Bears 35-24 win.
In the NFC Championship Game, Cutler completed 6-of-14 passes for 80 yards and an interception. After the Bears' first offensive series of the third quarter, Cutler sat out the remainder of the game with a knee injury. The Bears lost to the Green Bay Packers 21-14. The Bears did not make an immediate announcement about Cutler's condition, allowing speculation to grow. In possibly the NFL’s first player-on-player social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
attack, Cutler was being criticized for not returning within seconds after leaving the game instead of waiting for explanations in postgame media sessions. Bears coach Lovie Smith
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
later stated that the choice was not Cutler's decision. Smith made the decision to bench Cutler after consulting the medical and training staff. An MRI revealed the following day that he had sprained his MCL
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
. Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
, a sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
and a Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
quarterback, believes the widespread reaction to Cutler was indicative of the attitude he has shown in his career.
2011 Season
On November 20, 2011 during a game against the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Cutler broke the thumb on his throwing hand. The Bears had started the season 7-3 prior to the injury.
Awards and honors
- Pro BowlPro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection (20082009 Pro BowlThe 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
) - AFCAmerican Football ConferenceThe American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Offensive Player of the Month (September 2008) - AFC Offensive Player of the Week - Week 10 (2008)
- NFC Offensive Player of the Week - Week 16 (2009)
- FedEx Air Player of the Week - Week 16 (2009)
Records
Denver Broncos single-season franchise records (All during 2008 season):- Passing yards: 4,526
- Pass completions: 384
- Pass attempts: 616
- 300-yard passing games: 8
Career stats
| Year | | Passing | | Rushing | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | G | GS | W | L | Comp | Att | Comp % | Yds | AVG | YPG | TD | Int | Long | Sacked | Rate | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... |
DEN 2006 Denver Broncos season The 2006 Denver Broncos season began with the team trying to improve on their 13–3 record and make a return to the AFC Championship Game as they did in 2005.-Offseason:... |
5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 81 | 137 | 59.1 | 1,001 | 7.3 | 200.2 | 9 | 5 | 71 | 13 | 88.5 | 12 | 18 | 3.6 | 0 | ||
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
DEN 2007 Denver Broncos season The 2007 Denver Broncos season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League. A loss to the Houston Texans in Week 15 and a win by the San Diego Chargers the following Sunday knocked them out of playoff contention, marking the second year in a row they failed to make the playoffs... |
16 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 297 | 467 | 63.6 | 3,497 | 7.5 | 218.6 | 20 | 14 | 68 | 27 | 88.1 | 44 | 205 | 4.7 | 1 | ||
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
DEN 2008 Denver Broncos season The 2008 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 49th season for the team . They improved from their 7–9 record from 2007 but failed to make the playoffs with an 8–8 record... |
16 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 384 | 616 | 62.3 | 4,526 | 7.3 | 282.9 | 25 | 18 | 93 | 11 | 86.0 | 57 | 200 | 3.5 | 2 | ||
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... |
CHI 2009 Chicago Bears season The 2009 Chicago Bears season is the franchise's 90th season overall in the National Football League. The Bears had looked to improve upon their 9–7 record from 2008 and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season, but failed to do so for the third consecutive season. The team... |
16 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 336 | 555 | 60.5 | 3,666 | 6.6 | 229.1 | 27 | 26 | 71 | 35 | 76.8 | 40 | 173 | 4.3 | 1 | ||
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... |
CHI 2010 Chicago Bears season The 2010 Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 91st season overall in the National Football League. Coming off a disappointing 7–9 record in the 2009 season and failing to qualify for the NFL playoffs for a third consecutive season, the Bears sought to develop their roster and improve on... |
15 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 261 | 432 | 60.4 | 3,274 | 7.6 | 218.3 | 23 | 16 | 89 | 52 | 86.3 | 50 | 232 | 4.6 | 1 | ||
| 2011 2011 NFL season The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on... |
CHI 2011 Chicago Bears season The 2011 Chicago Bears season is the franchise's 92nd overall season in the National Football League, and the 8th under head coach Lovie Smith. The Bears, defending NFC North Division champions, will seek a return to the playoffs after falling in the NFC Championship Game to their arch-rivals the... |
9 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 164 | 283 | 58.0 | 2,033 | 7.1 | 225.9 | 11 | 6 | 56 | 23 | 84.4 | 13 | 45 | 3.5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 77 | 77 | 40 | 37 | 1,523 | 2,490 | 61.2 | 17,997 | 7.2 | 233.7 | 115 | 85 | 93 | 161 | 84.3 | 216 | 873 | 4.0 | 5 | |||
Personal life
Cutler does volunteer work for young people with developmental disabilities through Vanderbilt's "Best Buddies" program.During the 2007 offseason, Cutler started the Jay Cutler Foundation, which partnered with Mile High United Way’s Youth Success Initiative to help at-risk youth overcome obstacles and graduate from high school.
On May 1, 2008, Cutler announced that he had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes
Diabetes mellitus type 1
Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased blood and urine glucose...
and needs daily insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
shots. He is responding well with the insulin treatments.
Cutler works with Dedicated to Diabetes, which is a Denver-based organization that aims to improve public knowledge about diabetes.
For the 2009 season, Cutler teamed up with Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...
. For every touchdown pass Cutler threw during the 2009 season, Lilly sent a child to diabetes camp by donating $1,000 to the ADA’s “Camp Scholarship” fund—roughly the cost of providing tuition for one child to attend a week of diabetes camp. For every pass Cutler completed in 2009, Lilly donated $100 to the ADA Camp Scholarship fund to allow even more kids the chance to attend camp the following summer.
Cutler was engaged to reality star Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Elizabeth Cavallari is an American television personality and actress. She is best known for her starring roles on the former MTV reality television programs Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:Cavallari was born in Denver, Colorado, the second of...
until he called off their engagement in July 2011. In November 2011, the couple announced that they are again engaged.
In the media
An animated representation of Cutler briefly appeared in the South ParkSouth Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode, "Guitar Queer-o
Guitar Queer-o
"Guitar Queer-O" is episode 1113 of Comedy Central's South Park, which aired on November 7, 2007. The title and plot parody the video game Guitar Hero. The episode aired ten days after the release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock in the US....
." The show is set in Colorado, and the characters are avid Broncos fans. Two characters, Stan
Stan Marsh
Stanley Randall "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
and Kyle
Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
, meet Cutler and say, "Nice to meet you. I mean, you kinda suck, but my dad says you might be good some day." Cutler himself later responded to the episode, saying, "It was cool. I thought it was funny. They can make fun of me if they want to."
Cutler, along with Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler
Tony Scheffler
-Denver Broncos:Scheffler was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. After seeing limited playing time early in the season, Scheffler saw increased playing time and production after Jay Cutler was inserted as the Broncos starting quarterback on December 3, 2006,...
and former Broncos backup quarterback Preston Parsons
Preston Parsons
Preston Thomas Parsons is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
, took part in an episode of Oprah's Big Give
Oprah's Big Give
Oprah's Big Give is a reality television series that aired Sunday nights at 9:00 PM Eastern/8:00PM Central on ABC, and is hosted by Nate Berkus. The Big Give is produced by Harpo Productions, and created and produced by Oprah Winfrey, and also produced by Bert Van Munster and Elise Doganieri...
filmed in Denver in 2007. The episode aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on March 9, 2008.