Chicago Bears Sign Jay Cutler To Seven-Year Contract

Looks like quarterback Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears are officially in it for the long haul.

The team announced Thursday it had signed Cutler to a new seven-year contract, which will keep him locked in until 2020. (Via Yahoo!)

After the news broke, general manager Phil Emery tweeted, "Very excited to have Jay for the long term." (Via Twitter / @ChicagoBears)

But not everyone was as thrilled as Emery about Cutler's extension. (Via Twitter / @ReillyRick)

With Cutler's previous contract coming to an end and backup quarterback Josh McCown's strong play this season, many thought Chicago would let Cutler go into the free agent market or franchise him.

McCown had a pretty impressive season. During his five starts, he lead the Bears to victory three times while completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns and only one interception. (Via Sporting News)

On paper, that looks a lot better than what Cutler has done for the team. 

Since joining the Bears in 2009, he's thrown interceptions on 3.6 percent of his passes — the third highest in the NFL. (Via Wikimedia Commons / Mike Shadle)

And Bleacher Report notes Cutler's 39-28 record as a starter isn't exactly something you'd expect to see out of a quarterback who's going to make millions of dollars a year.

But despite an injury that put him on the sidelines for six games, Cutler played well under new head coach Marc Trestman. And the Bears say they have faith in Cutler's ability to stick it out through the tough times.

"When you look at that list of available free agents, there's not one starting quality quarterback. ... Cutler did a nice job. The problem with him has been injuries, it's not about talent." (Via ESPN)

And as CBS Sports points out, next season will be Cutler's second with Trestman, and "...he should be even better in Chicago's West Coast-type offensive system."

No word on exactly how much money the seven-year extension will give Cutler, but it's expected to be about $18 million per year. It also reportedly includes $50 million in guaranteed money.