The Chicago Bears' press conference on Thursday had more of a high school lunch table atmosphere than a pro football one. First, head coach Marc Trestman stumbled through a handful of questions about his benching of Jay Cutler. He also attempted to explain his questionable handling of offensive coordniator Aaron Kromer's admission that he was the source of the "buyer's remorse" comments about Jay Cutler. Then Cutler himself followed with an odd session with the media.
The dysfunction and failed goals in Chicago have many thinking that ownership could move on from several key people during the offseason.
"Trestman sounded defensive refusing to compare his inaction on Kromer with his decision on Cutler, a sliding scale of accountability not unnoticed in the locker room," David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune wrote. The locker room sentiment he is referring to is the confusion and discomfort several players feel towards Trestman's decision making.
But Chicago's failures this season aren't just on Trestman.
"Longtime Halas Hall employees privately say the environment feels as tense as any they can recall," Haugh added. "Team President Ted Phillips has been involved in conversations about the Bears future, which suggests he will survive any job losses.
"Because of strained relations between Trestman and Emery, and to a lesser degree Trestman and the demoted Cutler, a feeling of inevitability surrounds the firing of the Bears coach.
"The fate of [GM Phil] Emery remains up for discussion among Phillips and the [owners] McCaskeys, sources say. But a foreboding sense of major change permeates the building."
Black Monday is just a week and a half away, meaning fans should know the fates of the Bears decision makers soon enough.
Cutler's future is equally as murky.
"Will the Bears retain coach Marc Trestman and/or general manager Phil Emery?" ESPN's Mike Sando wrote. "If not, would the new leadership want to work with Cutler after the quarterback committed 24 turnovers in 14 starts this season (by comparison, NFC North rival Aaron Rodgers has 24 turnovers in his last 39 starts). There's also the question of whether Cutler could function again in Chicago after being benched. 'Some guys respond great to that,' one of the executives said, 'but all the reasons that Cutler is in this situation are why he probably will not take it well.'
"One executive wondered whether hiring Mike Shanahan as coach might make sense for the Bears if they wanted to keep Cutler. Shanahan was the Denver Broncos' coach when the team used a 2006 first-round pick for Cutler. Cutler ranked third behind Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan in total QBR over the final eight games of the 2008 season, but the Broncos went only 4-4 over that span with a defense that ranked ahead of only the winless Detroit Lions in expected points added (EPA explained here). Shanahan was fired after that 2008 team missed the playoffs. His successor, Josh McDaniels, traded Cutler to the Bears before the next season."
