Bears united in support of Cutler

From top to bottom, members of the Bears' organization on Monday defended quarterback Jay Cutler's toughness and fired back at NFL players who criticized him for not finishing Sunday's game with a sprained MCL in his left knee.

Irate Bears general manager Jerry Angelo had pointed comments for Kerry Rhodes, Maurice Jones-Drew and Darnell Dockett, who ripped Cutler on Twitter.

“I think it's crap,” Angelo said. “I thought they were a union. If that's the way they unionize themselves, they've got bigger issues than the one that they have with the owners (over the absence of a collective bargaining agreement for next season). I'm very disappointed in that. That, to me, is dirty pool. People are allowed to say what they want to say, but that doesn't mean it's right, and it's certainly not grounded.

“We wouldn't have been where we're at without him, and I want that to be made clear. We stand by him.”

Bears coach Lovie Smith said the decision to replace Cutler with backup Todd Collins and then No. 3 Caleb Hanie was one made by the team's coaching and medical staffs. He said Cutler wanted to keep playing and Smith has been surprised at the backlash against his quarterback.

“I haven't seen it before,” Smith said. “It seems like if you're in that

fraternity, you would be stepping up for your fellow man, especially when you don't know.

“Jay didn't take himself out of the game. If you're going to attack somebody, you should be attacking me. As the head football coach and (with) our medical staff, we're the ones (who made the decision). He wanted to go back in. He was

injured and went back in in the second half. So I see it the as complete

opposite of how it's being portrayed.

“That's the last thing we should have to defend, is Jay Cutler's toughness.”

For the sake of comparison, Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, widely considered one of the toughest players in the league, suffered a “slightly sprained” right MCL two years ago in the first half of the AFC championship game and was unable to play in the second half. He was able to participate in the Super Bowl two weeks later only after undergoing PRP (platelet rich plasma) therapy, which was a cutting-edge procedure at the time. Bears coach Lovie Smith said that Cutler would be listed as questionable for the Super Bowl if the Bears had won Sunday.

Smith also said Bears players would provide a more accurate evaluation of Cutler's character and toughness than those players who have taken to social networks to criticize.

“This is not on Jay,” Smith said. “It's on those people who attacked him. If you want to know about Jay Cutler's toughness, go to our players and ask them.”

Cutler's teammates have been unanimous in their support of him and his toughness. They, too, were angered by what they considered cheap shots from opponents who are ignorant of the situation and of Cutler's character.

Jones-Drew sat out the last two games this season with a knee injury while his Jacksonville team was fading down the stretch and not qualifying for the playoffs. He has played in a total of two postseason games with 48 yards on 14 rushes for a 3.4-yard average.

“It's insane,” Bears tight end Greg Olsen said. “Anyone who's ever watched us, that would probably be the last thing anyone's ever questioned. Jay's taken hits, he doesn't slide, and he runs almost to the point where we have to tell him, ‘Hey, you're still the quarterback, we need you back there, so don't be taking chances.' That's just his mentality.

“He's a football player, and for guys, especially players around the league to take those shots at him, I just think is ridiculous. You're going to take a shot at a quarterback who's leading his team in the NFC title game (from) guys who aren't even in the playoffs, haven't made the playoffs in their whole career, and they're going to question him?”

Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, who missed four games this season and 14 games last season knee injuries, knows Cutler's pain. He blamed lack of thought on those who rushed to judge him.

“It's unfortunate,” Tinoisamoa said. “That's the kind of the country we live

in. People don't realize you're dealing with

humans who have emotions. It's unfortunate a lot more thought doesn't go into some of these things.”

Olsen said there's also some kick-‘em-while-they're-down mentality around the league.

“Everyone likes to take shots at guys if they're having a rough time,” he said. Jay gets injured significantly, then he tries to play through it, and there's no one on this team who knows him who would ever question him. If there was any way he could have played, there's no doubt he would have been out there for us.

“For people who have never met him, never spoken to him, (now) they're doctors? They weren't even at the game. They were sitting home on their couch watching it on television, while we're out their playing our asses off, and then to make those comments. It just says a lot about them, I guess.”

Angelo had the final words: “If you watched this football team, and you come in here thinking that Jay Cutler isn't tough, then something is wrong with your vision. I can't even believe I'm sitting here talking about Cutler's toughness. If you ask me about Cutler, I'm going to start with toughness. Then, I'll probably start with his arm.”

Follow Bob LeGere's Bears reports via Twitter@BobLeGere. Check out his blog, Bear Essentials at DailyHerald.com