It appears the Denver Broncos have given up on trying to reconcile with disgruntled quarterback Jay Cutler. On Tuesday night, owner Pat Bowlen released the following statement:
“Numerous attempts to contact Jay Cutler in the last 10 days, both by Josh McDaniels and myself, have been unsuccessful. A conversation with his agent earlier today clearly communicated and confirmed to us that Jay no longer has any desire to play for the Denver Broncos.While it's not shocking that the Broncos have resigned themselves to moving on without Cutler, it is little surprising they would announce it to the world simply because they lose a little trade leverage if other teams know a divorce is imminent. Of course, with a talented young quarterback like Cutler, that should be offset somewhat by the fact that at least a handful of teams should be interested in his services.“We will begin discussions with other teams in an effort to accommodate his request to be traded.”
Hurting Cutler's trade value more, perhaps, is the disagreement the two sides are engaged in over whether or not calls by the team were made and not responded to by the Pro Bowl QB. Cutler has denied receiving any such calls. The team responded by saying they have phone records that prove otherwise. But by defending themselves, the Broncos are painting Cutler as a liar, which could ultimately scare off teams who might otherwise be considering making a huge commitment to the young signal caller.
At this point, it would probably be wise for the Broncos to reserve comment on the situation until they have a deal in hand.
Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
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