Bears' Jay Cutler: Time in Chicago coming to a close?

The Bears have started to explore potential trades for Cutler, Jeff Darlington of ESPN reports.

Analysis:

Cutler suffered a sprained thumb in Week 2, forcing five consecutive absences. Only Brian Hoyer's broken left forearm in Week 7 allowed Cutler another chance to operate under center, but he made three more appearances before requiring season-ending surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder. If Cutler is indeed getting shopped, his Bears resume will show four touchdowns versus five interceptions, while completing 59 percent of his passes in his age-33 campaign. Because he has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, the Bears may have difficulty unloading Cutler on a team in a less desirable situation, as he could opt to sit out or retire, per Darlington. No matter how things unfold, Cutler's time in Chicago has almost certainly come to a close.