Jay Cutler was set to work in football for the upcoming NFL season, but not in the setting that fans have grown accustomed to.
After eight seasons in the league, Cutler announced his retirement from the NFL back in May and promptly was hired by FOX to serve as an analyst in the broadcast booth. But when a former coach came calling, Cutler was met with a tough decision.
Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, who worked with Cutler as the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator in 2015, reached out to his former signal-caller after Dolphins starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered a season-ending knee injury. Cutler acknowledged that he went “back and forth” on the decision, but ultimately agreed to join the Dolphins under a one-year contract worth $10 million.
And while Cutler likely still had enough competitive juices flowing to make his comeback, he revealed in his introductory press conference Monday that his wife, Kristin Cavallari, provided most of the push.
“The last four months I’ve been in a different mindset, getting ready for the Fox deal,” Cutler told reporters, as transcribed by ESPN. “I was pretty good with where I was in my life; I was around the kids a lot and felt pretty content. So I went back and forth on this. My wife talked me into it more than anybody else. … I think she got tired of me being around the house.”
The Dolphins quite literally pulled Cutler off the couch, so it might take the 34-year-old some time to get back into game shape. But as Cutler jokingly noted Monday, his position as the team’s quarterback doesn’t require him to be in peak cardiovascular shape.
But if the Dolphins manage to excel under Cutler and sneak their way into the postseason, it looks like they’d have Ms. Cavallari to thank.
Thumbnail photo via Instagram/Kristin Cavallari
