Bears Blitz

Published by Bryan Dietzler on October 16, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Everyone knows that ongoing saga of what happened to Jay Cutler on Sunday Night Football just a couple weeks ago.  He suffered a concussion sometime in the first half of that game and was held out of the second half, then he missed the next game (against Carolina). 

Now, to the delight of Bears fans everywhere, Cutler is back in the lineup and ready to participate in games.

Still, there is some dispute as to whether or not this is Cutler’s first concussion. Why does it matter? 

Because concussions come easier and are much more damaging after you suffer the first one, so if Cutler has indeed suffered other concussions (prior to this last one), then there could be trouble.

All of this stems from Cutler’s remarks to the media the other day stating that this was his first. As many would come to find out, this was not his first concussion suffered in a football game. There had been others.

All told, Cutler suffered three concussions while in college (at Vanderbilt). In addition to that, he also suffered one while he was with the Denver Broncos before coming to the Bears.

That’s a total of five concussions in a six-year period. That’s an astounding number, and with that many, Cutler is surely susceptible to them. What does this mean for the Bears?

It means that they have what could potentially be considered a ticking time bomb with Cutler. Being that he is much more likely to get a concussion than other players because he has had so many, he could suffer concussions easily in any game in the future and be out for a long period of time.

The second worst-case scenario is that Cutler suffers a concussion that eventually causes him to sit out the rest of the season and leave the quarterback job to Caleb Hanie and Todd Collins. 

That’s a scary thought, but it’s not as unrealistic as some might think that it is.  Remember what the Bears did to linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer this season? A season-ending concussion is something that can easily happen.

The first worst-case scenario is that Cutler has to retire because the concussions are taking a toll on his brain, and he cannot risk having any additional damage. 

Remember former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman? His early retirement was due to the fact that he had suffered too many concussions and didn’t want to take the risk of having any permanent damage done.

If Cutler suffers any additional concussions, will the doctors tell him to hang it up? Will he hang it up? And what would that mean for the Bears?

Cutler has stated that he didn’t believe he suffered the concussion on his final sack (delivered by Aaron Ross). People who watched the game will remember that he was slammed to the turf by Ross and his head was bounced off of the turf. 

Many people felt that this was the point that Cutler suffered his concussion, but Cutler stated that wasn’t the case and there is evidence to support that.

Cutler was acting strange long before he had his head thrust to the turf by Ross. He was holding onto the ball for long period of time, wasn’t seeing open receivers down the field and looked like he was lost for a better part of the first half. 

So somewhere along the way, he got a concussion and that hit to the head wasn’t that noticeable, so then the concussion he suffered must have come much easier to Cutler than perhaps someone else.

One thing that the Bears can do to ensure Cutler isn’t going to suffer any additional concussions is protect him. Knowing that one more concussion could be a season- or career-ending one for him, the coaching staff should do anything and everything possible to make sure that he’s protected. 

This includes making sure that the five guys in front of him are doing their jobs and that they have help blocking if needed. 

They also need to give Cutler more options to throw the ball on short three-step drops or have receivers cut their routes off earlier so that they can get the ball quicker.  These things can help keep Cutler upright and healthy and help him to be the Bears roster for a long time. 

There is one other thing to keep in mind through all of this. After taking such a tough beating against the Giants and for the better part of the season, is Cutler going to be able to continue to handle the rigors of being a quarterback and playing behind the kind of line that he has to play behind?

I am not talking physical rigors but mental ones. Is he going to miss the open receiver because he had his eyes focused on the oncoming onslaught of a pass rush? Will he be able to concentrate knowing he’s about to get hit and driven to the ground?

This is something that can happen to a rookie quarterback but not a seasoned veteran, typically. For Cutler, who has played with two teams in the league, he shouldn’t have any problems with this and should be able to slide back into his role as the Bears starting quarterback and continue his journey to hopeful stardom.

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com