10 unforgettable moment from Cutler's career with Bears

Jay Cutler's eight-year run as the Bears' quarterback may be over, but it's worth a look back at the highs and lows, and there were plenty of both.

Cutler came to the Bears in an April 2, 2009, trade with the Denver Broncos, who had drafted him ninth overall three years earlier. The Bears gave up their starting quarterback, Kyle Orton, along with first-round picks in 2009 and 2010 and a third-round pick in 2009 to get Cutler and a fifth-round pick in 2009, which they used to select wide receiver Johnny Knox. Before his career ended in 2011 after a devastating hit, Knox made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner in 2010, when he also had 960 receiving yards.

Cutler was expected to be the franchise quarterback the Bears had been missing for decades, not counting the brief brilliance of Jim McMahon in the mid-1980s. There was cause for optimism. In Denver, Cutler became the starter late in 2006, his rookie season, and he started every game the next two seasons. By the time he was 25, Cutler had thrown for 9,024 yards with 54 TD passes.

He had arguably the strongest arm in the league, excellent athleticism and at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, nearly prototypical QB size.

At times, Cutler looked like the franchise-type guy general manager Jerry Angelo believed he was getting. At other times, not so much.

There were unforgettable moments bad and good. Here are the top 10, in no particular order, as determined in a nonscientific poll.

1. The 4-interception debut

Sept. 13, 2009

Can you say: "Buyer's remorse?" At Green Bay of all places, Cutler completed just 17 of 36 passes for 277 yards and 1 TD to go with 4 picks. His passer rating was 43.2 in a 21-15 defeat. Cutler was picked off on three of the Bears' first six possessions.

2. A match made in heaven

2015 season

Under offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Cutler produced the best statistical season of his career and protected the ball better than he ever had. He threw just 11 interceptions, the fewest for any of his full seasons, and had 21 TD passes and a career-best 92.3 passer rating. Unfortunately for Cutler and the Bears, Gase left after one season to become the Miami Dolphins head coach.

3. He actually said that?

Oct. 16, 2011

My personal favorite. The Bears were pounding the Vikings 23-3 en route to a 39-10 victory. But Cutler got a play call or some sort of advice over the headset that came from offensive coordinator Mike Martz. As he walked to the line of scrimmage Cutler responded, "Tell Martz I said (bleep) you."

The best part? No apology.

"Things happen," Cutler said. "I'm not gonna make a big deal out of it."

It was Cutler's best game of the year (115.9 passer rating).

4. Oops, I did it again

Nov. 12, 2009

Cutler bounced back from his horrendous Bears debut to string three straight games of better than a 100.0 passer rating. But in Game 9, he tossed 5 picks in a 10-6 loss to the 49ers in San Francisco before a nationally televised Thursday night audience. It ended on Cutler's second interception in the end zone, this one from the Niners' 12-yard line.

5. Maybe he was showing J'Marcus Webb how to block

Sept. 13, 2012

During a 23-10 loss to - who else? - the Packers, an irate Cutler came off the field yelling after one of the seven times he was sacked. When he got to the sideline, he shoved 6-foot-7, 333-pound left tackle J'Marcus Webb.

Webb, a seventh-round pick in 2010 from West Texas A&M, showed occasional flashes of athleticism and was a good dude, just not a good blindside protector.

Venting didn't help Cutler's performance. He completed just 11 of 27 passes for 126 yards with 4 interceptions, 1 TD and a 28.2 passer rating. He explained the altercation with Webb a couple days later.

"As far as me yelling at him and trying to get him going, I don't regret that," Cutler said on the Waddle and Silvy Show on WSCR 670-AM. "It's an emotional game, and I put a lot into playing quarterback, and I take it seriously. Since then, we've talked about it, and it's behind us."

6. Another coordinator, another slight

Oct. 1, 2012

On Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys, Cutler came off the field, apparently aggravated that plays had been coming in late. He sat on the bench and offensive coordinator Mike Tice came and sat next to him. Cutler got up and walked away.

Maybe there was something to Cutler's disagreements with offensive coordinators. He was even better in this game, completing 18 of 24 for 275 yards, 2 touchdowns, no picks and a 140.1 passer rating, his best of the season, in a 34-18 victory.

7. Wounded knee

Jan. 23, 2011

A week earlier Cutler (111.3 passer rating) led a 35-24 win over the Seahawks in a divisional-round playoff game. But in this NFC title game against the Packers he suffered a knee injury (sprained MCL) just before halftime. He tried to play in the second half but had no mobility and left after one series with a 31.8 passer rating.

Cutler was criticized for lacking toughness, a charge that was refuted many times as he played through some injuries and returned much sooner than expected from others. Cutler left with the Bears down 14-0, backup Todd Collins was ineffective, and No. 3 Caleb Hanie finished, rallying the team briefly in a 21-14 defeat.

Afterward, Brian Urlacher defended Cutler.

"Jay was hurt," Urlacher said. "I don't question his toughness."

8. Finishing strong

Games 15-16, 2009

To say there were serious doubts about Cutler for most of his first season in Chicago would be an understatement. His 26 interceptions were 8 more than he would throw in any season. However, with the majority feeling that GM Jerry Angelo had bought a lemon, Cutler rekindled hope with 8 TD passes and just 1 interception in the final two games, victories in which the Bears scored 73 points.

9. Sack-a-palooza

Oct. 3, 2010

Cutler was sacked nine times - in the first half, an NFL record. The relentless Giants pass rush knocked Cutler out of the game by halftime with a concussion. He fumbled three times, losing one and was intercepted once. The Giants finished with 10 sacks, the most by a Bears opponent since it became an official statistic in 1982. The Bears gained a just 110 yards in a 17-3 loss.

10. When the bottom fell out

Nov. 20, 2011

The Bears were cruising, sailing along at 7-3 after the 31-20 win over the Chargers, their fifth straight victory. The offense had scored 30 or more points in six of the first 10 games. But near the end of the Chargers game, Cutler suffered a fractured right thumb trying to make a tackle after his only interception. Without him, the Bears averaged 14 points a game, lost five straight, fell from contention and finished 8-8.