North: Hard to picture Cutler as a success

I saw the picture of former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler that displayed his in-the-buff backside as he vacationed in Mexico with his wife, Kristin Cavallari.

To my way of thinking, the photo suggested several other messages when his wife posted that picture on her Instagram account.

Interpret it any way you want, but my reaction pretty much followed my initial feelings about him when he first came to play in Chicago: I got mine and that's all I really care about.

I have been following sports in Chicago for more than five decades and have been working in the sports industry for close to 30 years, and I have never seen a more pathetic athlete who had all the tools but just couldn't get it together mentally. He basically gave the franchise and the fans the finger during his eight years here.

I have been paid to observe for over a quarter of a century and the only thing he ever seemed eager to display was a sullen attitude, and he was quite consistent about that!

Cutler shackled his team and instead of being a solid general, he acted more like a sleeping corporal.

Honestly, he was a puzzle that no one could ever explain.

I guess former offensive coordinator Adam Gase, now head coach of the Miami Dolphins, was as close as it came to "getting him," which explains Gase's recent comments that he didn't get "all the hatred" that people showed Cutler.

Cutler was the reason, I believe, that several Bears stars such as Martellus Bennett and Brandon Marshall wanted out, and if you don't think so, then you haven't been paying attention.

I am not much of a fan of either of those two players, but their sniping didn't surprise me, just as the lack of people coming to support Cutler continues to dwindle.

So yes, after eight years it was time for him to move on.

I believe I'm also fair when it comes to Cutler, even though he was a bad apple, and couldn't compare with other great quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson. The Bears paid him like he was a top QB who could lead us to the playoffs and a Super Bowl, but it didn't happen.

But it wasn't just Cutler's fault.

The Bears chose to re-sign him, which was a huge mistake.

The Bears also got rid of his pal and All-Pro tight end Greg Olsen - another big mistake!

The Bears saddled him with a multitude of offense coordinators - again, a big mistake!

While that wasn't all, it's time that we move on from the Cutler era. I have to admit that I am enjoying the breath of fresh air and hoping for positive results with the new starter, Mike Glennon.

My lasting impression of Jay Cutler will be of him standing naked, just like the Bears' trophy case has looked over the last eight seasons.

So long, naked Jay!

• Follow Mike on Twitter @north2north. Check out his podcast Monday-Friday at podcastarena.com, iTunes or audioboom. His column appears each Friday in the Daily Herald. For more, visit northtonorth.com.