One fewer excuse for Cutler if Bates fails

The Bears have given Jay Cutler countless excuses for not joining the NFL's list of elite quarterbacks.

Limited protection from the offensive line … an inadequate corps of receivers … no coach's shoulder to lean on.

Presumably that last one was remedied Tuesday when the Bears hired Jeremy Bates to mentor their quarterbacks.

During Cutler's three seasons with the Bears, he hasn't quite clicked with his position coaches and offensive coordinators.

Now Cutler has Bates, with whom he had his best NFL season when they worked together on the Broncos.

If this doesn't work, well, the football world might start wondering whether anyone is compatible with Cutler.

Tice succeeds Mike Martz as coordinator. The impression was that Cutler didn't get along with Martz, who succeeded Ron Turner. The impression was that Turner couldn't get the most out of this talented quarterback.

The Bears must be expecting Bates to be Mr. Right, though at one time the murmurs were that his relationship with Cutler had soured.

Sorry, but it'll be on Cutler this time if Bates — in combination with Tice — turns out to be just another coach who didn't satisfy the quarterback's taste in coaches.

On the team's website, Cutler had nice things to say about the hiring of Bates. However, he also had been OK with the hiring of Martz two years ago.

In other words, Cutler endorsed Martz until he didn't anymore; he approved of Turner until he didn't anymore; he'll like Bates until …

This is risky business to begin with, this business of finding a coach that the quarterback will embrace enough to let coach him.

It's the player's responsibility to get along with the coach, not just the coach's to get along with the player.

There are exceptions, but as of now this isn't Tom Brady or Peyton Manning we're talking about, is it?

The Bears can't turn over the offense to Cutler. His input should be valued and the offense designed to his strengths, but he has to be a coach's player rather than a player-coach.

Someone has to be the boss and rarely is a player capable of filling that role, not even a quarterback eminently important to his football team.

Cutler reportedly had contentious relationships with Turner, Martz and whoever was Bears QB coach at any given time. After awhile that becomes a reflection of the quarterback more than of the coaches.

It's fashionable this week to compare Cutler to Eli Manning because they do have much in common.

Both were first-round draft choices. Both are skilled. Yet both have had their football personalities questioned.

Manning erased doubts about himself by winning two Super Bowls. That means Cutler must have at least one championship and perhaps more in his future, right?

Maybe yes, maybe no. Manning reaching his potential guarantees Cutler nothing.

Suspicions that Manning didn't care enough about football persisted until he won his first title and to some until he won his second.

As much progress as Cutler has made, he still has to win something significant before anyone can be certain whatever his missing ingredient is no longer is missing.

A good step would be if Cutler has found partners in Bates and Tice that he likes, respects and most of all trusts.

If that bond doesn't form this time, Jay Cutler will have used this up as an excuse.

mimrem@dailyherald.com