The Chicago Bears are trying to offload Jay Cutler and have actively started seeking a trade partner for the quarterback, per Jeff Darlington of ESPN.
I'm told by league sources Bears have now begun actively shopping Cutler, which isn't surprising, but it does require some context:
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) February 21, 2017
Cutler's contract doesn't have a no-trade clause, but that doesn't mean Bears can trade him without his willingness to agree. Teams know it.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) February 21, 2017
Cutler is 33. He has no guaranteed money left. If non-competitive team tries to give up late pick, he can sit out or retire. Teams know it.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) February 21, 2017
Earlier this month, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk linked the San Francisco 49ers to Cutler. Mike Shanahan, the father of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, drafted Cutler to the Denver Broncos when he was the head coach there. 49ers general manager John Lynch, who has said that he is a fan and friend of Culter, played with the quarterback in Denver. Lynch once called Cutler a "once-in-every-15-year-type talent."
Cutler's 2016 season ended after just five games when a shoulder injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season. He has passed for over 3,000 yards in seven of his 11 NFL seasons. In 2014, he threw a career-high 28 touchdowns but led the NFL with 18 interceptions. Culter has passed for more than 4,000 yards only once in his career (2008 with 4,526 in Denver). He has been with Chicago since 2009.
Cutler was a first-round selection out of Vanderbilt in the 2006 NFL Draft. He has been selected to just one Pro Bowl (2008) over his career. Cutler holds Bears franchise records for career completions (2,020), completions in a season (370 in 2014), career passing yards (23,443), and career passing touchdowns (154).
Also, since Cutler received no signing bonus, he'll owe his new team no money if he retires. https://t.co/ZBXhYX1uLR
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 21, 2017
Another Bears quarterback, Brian Hoyer, has been linked to the 49ers. If San Francisco wanted to sign Hoyer, they could do so freely when he becomes a free agent in March.
The 49ers may be without a quarterback when the new league year begins in March. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has the option to opt out of his contract and become a free agent and no other 49ers quarterback was signed beyond the 2016 season. Identifying a quarterback of the future – or at the very least a stopgap solution until one can be identified – has to be a priority for the team.