Jay Cutler will QB Bears in 2015
— -- The Chicago Bears fully expect that Jay Cutler will be their quarterback for the 2015 season, according to team sources with direct knowledge of the team's plans.
One source was adamant that there was "absolutely zero truth" to recent reports that Cutler was being actively shopped for a potential trade.
At most, Chicago has been positioned as a passive listener if other teams have interest in any of its players, including Cutler -- which is the case for the majority of teams, a source noted.
It is a development that has needed clarification because new Bears coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace have been publicly noncommittal about Cutler's status with the team in limited media access since they joined the organization in February.
Fox and Pace have not publicly endorsed Cutler. But clarification is expected from the Bears in the near future, perhaps as early as this week. Jimmy Clausen was recently signed to return as the team's backup quarterback.
Cutler's spotty performance has led to rampant speculation that the franchise was considering cutting him loose either through trade or an outright release. Neither dispatch will occur, sources said.
To the contrary, the new staff -- including offensive coordinator Adam Gase -- has been enthusiastically making plans with a playbook it believes will accentuate Cutler's strengths with the available talent around him, sources said.
Under terms of Cutler's contract, he is scheduled to make $15.5 million in 2015 with an additional $10 million guaranteed for injury in 2016 if he is on the roster as of Thursday at 4 p.m. ET.
Cutler could make another $6 million in guaranteed money if he is on the roster at the start of the league year next March. He is not due any guaranteed money after 2016.
