It's no secret that the Chicago Bears brass - not to mention Bears fans - aren't exactly enamored with Jay Cutler as the starting signal-caller in the Windy City.
If the latest report from Jason Cole of Bleacher Report is accurate, Cutler may not be long for a Bears uniform and the organization's newest franchise signal-caller could possibly come in the form of a high 2015 NFL Draft pick.
"What has emerged in the past week, according to a source I talked to over the weekend, is that Marcus Mariota has gained more and more traction in Chicago of all places," Cole revealed. "Despite the fact that John Fox was brought in as head coach with the presumed idea that he was going to fix Jay Cutler so that the Bears could find out once and for all whether Cutler was the answer at quarterback, there are some people within the Bears organization - and the Bears taking at No. 7 overall - who believe that Mariota might be the answer and that ultimately, trading Cutler may actually work out, especially if they can find a partner with the Tennessee Titans."
Cutler has failed to provide much in the way of positive impact or tangible success for the Bears since being acquired in a massive blockbuster trade with the Denver Broncos in a deal that also included quarterback Kyle Orton, two first-round picks and a third-rounder for good measure.
With the Bears cleaning house on last season's coaching staff and bringing aboard new head honcho John Fox and GM Ryan Pace, Cutler's questionable future in Chicago now seems even more clouded.
In March, it was reported by Chris Mortensen of ESPN that Chicago "fully expected" Cutler to be the starter for 2015. Cutler's contract, signed just prior to last season, came with $38 million in guarantees, $10 million of which became guaranteed on March 12, so that expectation seems born as much of necessity as of actual desire.
The Titans, so desperately in need of a quarterback that they're already being linked to the San Diego Chargers and Philip Rivers in pre-draft trade rumors, not to mention Cutler - also not to mention the possibility of actually staying put and selecting Mariota or Jameis Winston - were actually interested in the dour signal-caller, it would be a huge boon to Fox and Pace in their efforts to remake the Bears in their image.
Of course, the uber-athletic Mariota, who threw for 10,796 yards, 105 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions in his collegiate career, comes from a spread offense, known for its minimal reads and overt simplicity.
Assuming Cole's report of the Bears interest in Mariota is accurate, it may be in Chicago's best interest to select the former Oregon signal-caller and promptly sit him on the bench for a season or two while they teach him to work through his progressions and read an NFL defense.
Whether they can get out from under him this season or not, look for Fox and Pace to move on from Cutler as soon as possible. If that means the addition of a player like Mariota in the 2015 NFL Draft or not, remains to be seen.
