Jay Cutler reminds us why we need Ryan Tannehill

The Miami Dolphins believed that bringing Jay Cutler in for $10 million would be a great way to advance the team back to the post-season. It didn’t work out quite the way they expected.

Jay Cutler has been, well, Jay Cutler. As most NFL fans know Jay Cutler is the emotionless caricature of real football player.

A week ago Monday Cutler was at his NFL best as he led the Dolphins on a demolition of the Patriots in prime-time. On Sunday, Cutler returned to his “whatever” attitude. Shrinking away from potential post-season aspirations to a more, “I’m cold can I go inside now” child.

Cutler’s NFL career has been this type of play. Up one week and down the next but this year, coming out of a retirement, it just seems that he should part ways with the league and move into the broadcast booth where he can calmly deliver a monotone opinion of the sport he used to play. Or rather suck at.

Cutler has never been a great quarterback. He is a lazy quarterback with a ton of unrealized potential and a big league arm. A gunslinger mentality like that of Brett Favre without the same degree of passion. Cutler throws the ball and doesn’t really care who comes down with it.

For the past several years, since 2012 to be exact, fans have watched Ryan Tannehill take the field, show a similar lack of emotion, a similar lack of leadership, and they want something more. Last year however something changed with Tannehill. He became vocal, he became a leader, and he displayed emotion. And Miami won a lot of close games.

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Tannehill may or may not be the answer to the long-term solution of the Dolphins but he is head and shoulders above Jay Cutler. While it is never fun to speculate on what-if’s, especially because they mean to do nothing more than irritate you, Miami could have won a couple of more games this season with Tannehill behind center rather than Cutler.

Tannehill can move out of the pocket and pick up  yards with his legs. He is less likely to throw the ball into coverage and hope his receivers come down with it. He has a big arm and can get the ball downfield. Tannehill fits into Adam Gase’s offense well enough to lead the team.

At least lead the team better than Jay Cutler.

After the 2017 season is over, which will be in two weeks for the Dolphins, Miami will start making changes to their roster and decisions for their future. Tannehill may or may not be a part of that long-term solution but when he finally comes back, appreciate what it is he can do and remember you could always have Jay Cutler.