I'm not a fan of the Denver Broncos or Jay Cutler, but I've been keeping tabs on this story because honestly I can sort of relate to Cutler's fustration, as my recent job situation draws certain comparisons. Sure I'm not making millions as a top QB, and I'm probably easier to replace, but the drama, the bickering and the who's wrong, who's right is no different from any typical work place with a vertical hierarchy.
Cutler has been playing well and putting up solid numbers for Denver the past couple years. Sure, no playoff appearances or Super Bowls, but he's only 25 years old and Denver has other issues, like defense and their running game, that need improvement. So the Broncos fire Shanahan, then bring in McDaniels, who's only 32 and has never been a head coach (asst. coach in New England) who wants to change a system that's allowed Cutler to be successful, and along with that wants his "protege" from N.E., Cassel, to possibly replace Jay without discussing anything.
Ok maybe if it's Bill Parcells or Belichick coming in, I just shut up and go with the flow for now, but he's probably thinking "who does this guy McDaniels think he is?" You can have success even when boss/employee do not get along, but maybe not so much when both the QB and the coach are still early in their careers and they pretty much need to constantly work together . Also, articles note that Jay was initially willing to work with McDaniels' different offensive scheme, and I haven't heard of Cutler being detrimental in the locker room or having problems with other teammates either. (I wonder what other Broncos players think of this, haven't heard much from them)
With the "getting paid millions to throw a ball" aspect aside (pro athletes are just on a completely different level than the rest of us anyway) I think Cutler's actions are pretty justified. It will just be a mess for the rest of the season at this point, as the bridges are already burnt. Cutler lost the trust of the new coach before the season even started, and trust is often crucial for successful organizations.
My situation was quite different obviously, however after reading the stories about Cutler, I couldn't help but notice some similar aspects. If you aren't aware of the story in Denver, this article probably makes no sense to you.
P.S. as a Jets fan, I would more than welcome Cutler a chance to play in NY this year. I think Rex Ryan's comments to the press are a little too optimistic sometimes. The QB situation is bad here...Clemens will never be as good as Cutler, if he can even start for a full season at all, and the other two are still a couple of years away. Of course, after seeing how the front office treated Chad Pennington (which I didn't like from August) who knows what they are thinking anyway. The NY Media is tough for sure, but if Eli survived the first couple of seasons, I'm sure Cutler is capable. Besides, he'd need to stir up some serious stuff here to steal Drama Queen A-Rod's crown, at least through october.
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