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Former Bronco could be retiring

The Afternoon Drive took a little time to talk to Nick Ferguson, and the conversation went as expected regarding the Broncos offensive line. Then it took a slightly different turn.

NFL: Chicago Bears at New York Giants Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

When Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro started off the segment with Nick Ferguson, it was also about the Broncos offensive line issues. This is going to be the common theme in most football conversations in Broncos Country. Then things went a different direction.

Reports out of Chicago are that the Bears are looking to trade Jay Cutler. A joke has risen out of this, as Bronco fans might start dusting off their old number 6 jerseys. The discussion with turned to Cutler’s career, and his legacy.

Cutler was drafted by the Broncos in 2006, and supplanted Jake Plummer during his rookie year. It looked like the Broncos had found their next franchise quarterback. By the time Mike Shanahan was fired, the Broncos looked like a team that needed a few upgrades on defense, and a Super Bowl was in the future. Instead, Josh McDaniels was hired, got rid of Cutler, and destroyed the Broncos for a few years.

How different would Cutler’s career have been had Shanahan not been fired? What if the Broncos had hired a defensive minded coach who didn’t get rid of Cutler? There is no telling how things could have gone. And now Cutler, and his career, is slowly fading away.