There’s no problem with calling him a kid.
Just don’t call Kid Cutler a rook.
Neither in seasons, or games does Jay Cutler qualify as a rookie. Officially, this is his second NFL season. But in games, the Broncos’ quarterback just graduated after completing his 16th start last week in Chicago. Cutler will start his sophomore season’s worth of games Sunday in Oakland, Calif.
Asked about the most difficult aspect of his first 16 games, Cutler instead offered why it wasn’t as difficult as it could have been.
“It wasn’t coming in and going 16 straight,” he said. “It was going five (in 2006) and then having an entire offseason to get ready. That made it a lot easier. It’s a long season, especially on the young guys who haven’t been through a whole season. It’s long. It’s tough. It takes a toll on your body and your mind. That’s probably the hardest part to get used to. ”
Especially for those who came from Vanderbilt. Cutler has been granted way more quarterback talent than most, but in return, he’s had to wait way longer than others to play when it matters most.
He never played in a bowl game during his four years as a starter at Vanderbilt. The Broncos missed out on the playoffs last year and they’re going to have to hurry this year if they are to turn their 5-6 record into January football.
Let the record show the last time Cutler participated in the playoffs, he led his high school to the Indiana state football championship.
The sense with Cutler is the best is yet to come. With 22 touchdowns, 3,385 yards and an 89.6 passer rating, his 16-game passing numbers exceed those at similar junctures of every Hall of Fame quarterback except Dan Marino.
“He looks more and more confident,” Raiders linebacker Kirk Morrison said on a conference call with the media.
