Broncos’ Quarterback Cutler Wants to Be Traded
March 16, 2009
Jay Cutler wants out of Denver. Now
Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler said last night that he will not report to the team’s first meeting today and has formally asked to be traded, ESPN.com reported last night. He said a Saturday meeting with first-year coach Josh McDaniels ended badly.
Cutler and McDaniels, the former Patriots offensive coordinator, have been at odds since it became public that McDaniels talked to the Patriots about acquiring quarterback Matt Cassel this offseason. Cassel was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs instead.
“I went in there with every intention of solving the issue, being a Bronco, moving forward as a Bronco,” Cutler said. “We weren’t in there but about 20 minutes, [McDaniels] did most of the talking and as far as I’m concerned, he made it clear he wants his own guy. He admitted he wanted Matt Cassel because he said he has raised him up from the ground as a quarterback. He said he wasn’t sorry about it. He made it clear that he could still entertain trading me because, as he put it, he’ll do whatever he feels is in the best interest of the organization.
Consequently, Cutler said he has instructed agent Bus Cook, who also attended the meeting, to formally request a trade. The quarterback said he left town late yesterday and would skip McDaniels’s first team meeting today as they begin their offseason program.
McDaniels acknowledged the team got involved in trade discussions for Cassel. However, he said any perception Cutler felt that the team could still trade him was misleading.
“That’s what we have communicated ever since the deal with Cassel didn’t happen,” McDaniels said. “Other teams have called, but we’re not interested in getting draft picks for Jay. I never made a statement [Saturday] that ‘you can be traded at any time.’ They asked a question and I told them it was the time of year when people inquire about your team. Your job, as a head coach and general manager, is to listen and not bypass any opportunity to help your team improve.”
