Former Bears coaches say team can't compete with Jay Cutler under center

Nearly a dozen staffers from Lovie Smith and Marc Trestman's Chicago Bears staffs doubt the team can compete for championships with quarterback Jay Cutler under center.

ESPN's Michael C. Wright spoke to at least 10 former staffers from the team's two most recent coaching regimes, as well as two teammates of Cutler's, and turned up very little support for the polarizing passer.

Cutler was described as a divisive figure, renegade and a rogue. Wright says everyone he spoke to questioned Cutler's leadership abilities. 

The Bears have yet to publicly commit to Cutler as their starting quarterback for the coming season. They'll have to decide soon. If Cutler is on the team's roster on March 12, $10 million of his 2016 salary becomes guaranteed.

Wright suggests new Bears head coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace are prepared to give Cutler the chance to prove himself, pointing out the team hired two men close to Cutler, Adam Gase and Dowell Loggains, to serve as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.