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3 teams that could trade for Cutler

Dennis Wierzbicki / USA TODAY Sports

It appears Jay Cutler's tenure in Chicago is coming to an end, as the Bears are reportedly seeking a trade partner for the veteran quarterback.

While the 33-year-old is unlikely to be a hot property due to his declining play and reputation as someone who doesn't carry himself as a franchise quarterback, he could actually be the best pivot available when things like cost and long-term commitment are taken into consideration.

If a team trades for Cutler - and it's unlikely that it will take more than a mid-round pick to do so - they'll also get him on an incredibly friendly deal.

Cutler has four years remaining on his contract, but it essentially can be viewed as a two-year deal. He has a cap hit of $16 million in 2017 and $17 million in 2018, after which he can be cut with no dead money, according to spotrac.com.

And while many view Cutler as an average quarterback, he's set to be the 19th-highest-paid player at his position this coming season and 16th in 2018, with the majority of those behind him on rookie deals.

In an inflated quarterback market, Cutler is an affordable stop-gap starter, so here are three teams that could look into trading for him.

San Francisco 49ers

New 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he doesn't want a "short-term fix" at the game's most important position, but he can't avoid the fact he'll need to bring in a veteran option, even if San Francisco uses its first-round pick on a quarterback.

While Cutler wouldn't be an ideal fit in Shanahan's offense, as he's more of a gunslinger than Matt Ryan, he does have the arm to still attack teams deep.

The 49ers aren't the most attractive option for Cutler in terms of winning now, but if the veteran passer wants to rebuild his reputation and earn one more decent-sized contract, he won't do any better than working with Shanahan - one of the best offensive minds in the league.

For the 49ers, they can use their first-round pick on a non-quarterback knowing they have Cutler for a year or two, take their franchise guy at No. 2 overall and let the two signal-callers fight it out in camp, or even trade down for a more raw prospect and let them sit.

Houston Texans

The Texans cannot go into the 2017 season with Brock Osweiler as their starter, regardless if his contract means he must stay on the team for one more year. He was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league last season, and regardless of how good you think Cutler is, he's light years ahead of Osweiler.

Houston's lack of cap space - currently projected to be around $26 million - is the biggest roadblock to the move. But this team is built to win now, and the Texans can't sit by and watch another year wasted. All they needed was average quarterback play last season and they could have been a Super Bowl contender - Cutler can provide that.

Cutler might object to being traded to a team will little chance of making the playoffs like the 49ers, but would likely jump at the chance to be the final piece for a contender like the Texans.

New York Jets

The Jets have never met an aging former franchise quarterback they didn't like, but Cutler could actually be a fit if the team truly believes they have a year left in this iteration of the team.

While the Jets were one of the worst teams in football this past season, they still have enough talent to challenge for a playoff spot in a weak AFC in 2017. More than anything, it was their lack of good quarterback play that held them back in 2016.

Yes, the temperamental Cutler sounds like a recipe for disaster, as does a reunion with wide receiver Brandon Marshall. However, New York doesn't have a viable starter on its roster and could be reluctant to take a quarterback with the sixth overall pick. It's a risk, but the Jets' options are limited at this point unless they opt for a complete rebuild.

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