Bears OC Aaron Kromer Admits to Being Source for Ian Rapoport's Report Ripping Cutler

[Playoffs]

Bears OC Aaron Kromer Admits to Being a Source for Ian Rapoport's Report Ripping Jay Cutler

Four sources told the Tribune that Kromer adamantly denied he said anything about the franchise having buyer's remorse for Cutler's blockbuster contract and assured players that portion of Sunday's report on NFL Network did not come from him. With Cutler in the room, Kromer did admit however to being frustrated with the quarterback's play management and expressing that to Ian Rapoport as he left Soldier Field on Dec. 4 after the fifth loss in seven games.

Cutler shook his head during Kromer's apology, one source said...

Kromer told the players he should not have spoken outside the family circle and did so in the heat of emotion and apologized hoping they all could use it as a learning experience, he told the Tribune.

"I'm still kind of trying to sort my way through this to be honest," one player said. "It's one of the most (messed) up things I have ever seen."

"It's a (messed) up situation," another player said.

It was just last week, in the aftermath of the 41-28 loss to the Cowboys, that Cutler gave the coaching staff a vote of confidence despite the continued woes.

"I've been on teams where you went (out) Sunday and you just knew the plan wasn't going to be good enough," he said. "I've never lined up with this crew and felt this plan isn't going to get it done. Or we don't have enough. Or we're outmatched. Or we're out-schemed. That never has been a thought of mine."​

Cutler is on the verge of a handful of single-season passing records...

Aaron Kromer must go for anonymous low-blow criticism of Jay Cutler

So much scrutiny this week in Chicago surrounded the likely firing of defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. But if the Bears still care about integrity, it will be the offensive coordinator who beats him out the door.

 

[JB]

wow

just wow

 

[Playoffs]

Cutler, on his initial reaction when Kromer apologized to the offense: “I think we were all a little bit surprised. I don’t think (we were surprised) so much that it happened but that he stepped in front of us and apologized. And he was owning up to it. Like I said, everyone here has made mistakes and said things in the media and said things to other players in passing that we regret. But not many of us step up in front of everybody and apologize and own it the way he did. I think we left that meeting in a better place than when we started.”
...

Cutler, on how he’ll trust Kromer again going forward: “I think that just goes back to knowing that I’ve said things that I wish I wouldn’t have said. We’re all human. It happens to all of us. And I think Monday, whenever he apologized, we were able to feel that he was sorry, that the situation got the better of him...”

Regardless of what he's been in the past, that is what taking the high road looks like.

 

[JB]

Regardless of what he's been in the past, that is what taking the high road looks like.

yeah that is really stand up of him...

I'm kinda surprised actually

 

[badboy]

so if I say you are worthless at what you do and then say sorry I said it..nah you are still worthless at what you do.

 

[disaacks3]

Regardless of what he's been in the past, that is what taking the high road looks like.

Amen. No blaming others, no deflection, just the harsh truth to the folks who needed to hear it the most.

 

[Playoffs]

"I would have a major problem if somebody said something like that," Rodgers said Tuesday during an interview at Lambeau Field. "I think anybody that plays the position, you can't help but empathize with Jay for that situation. You talk all the time about being connected, being a unit, believing in each other. But if you have unnamed sources, people out there cutting you down, and then you find out it's the person calling the plays -- that would be really hard to deal with, to look at him the same way."

Though Kromer reportedly apologized to Cutler -- and the quarterback later said he "wasn't angry" with his coordinator and that the team was in a "better place" following the meeting in question -- Rodgers was far less forgiving.

"I felt for Jay that he was having to deal with that," Rodgers said. "And I was surprised that the coach came out and admitted that it was him. I think, in general, unnamed sources are pretty gutless. But then he comes out and admits it was him. I don't think he deserves any credit for that, but it was interesting that he did."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...odgers-baffled-by-kromers-jay-cutler-comments

You know who the Bears nominated Tuesday for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award? Jay Cutler.

 

[JB]

Jimmy Clausen to start against the Lions... Cutler to ride the pine

Just reported on NFL network by Rapoport

 

[WolverineFan]

Looks like Kromer knew what he was talking about.

 

[Playoffs]

Trestman... one foot in the unemployment line, the other on a banana peel. Emery, too.

 

[Playoffs]

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- A pair of accomplished and respected Chicago Bears players told ESPNChicago.com on Wednesday night that a portion of the locker room feels "confused and uncomfortable" over how coach Marc Trestman handled Jay Cutler's benching compared to the minor discipline offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer received last week.

From a pure performance standpoint, neither of the players, who requested to remain anonymous, objected to Cutler losing his starting job to Jimmy Clausen for Sunday's game versus the Detroit Lions.

But while noting that a faction of Cutler detractors exists inside Halas Hall, the general belief is that the respective punishments for Cutler and Kromer are gravely inconsistent, after the Bears offensive coordinator received "basically a slap on the wrist" for his public indiscretions when he tearfully revealed in a team meeting Dec. 8 that he was the anonymous source cited in a published NFL Media report that was highly critical of the quarterback.

Kromer coached the Bears from the sideline during Monday night's 31-15 loss to the New Orleans Saints and is expected to finish out the season.

This further magnifies the distrust between Trestman and the locker room, an ongoing issue during much of the Bears' disappointing 5-9 season, according to the players...

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/stor...-cutler-aaron-kromer-discipline-marc-trestman

 

[Playoffs]

Says

"Bears" to me.

 

[mattieuk]

Good for Jay Cutler. There is a lot you can do in retirement with that kind of guaranteed money. Looks like he is half way to being out the league at the moment.

I just don't see him as the kind of guy who can string together a ton of performances. Flashes of brilliance won't get you a ring without consistent play to back it up.

 

[Playoffs]

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet

I don’t know what Jay Cutler is supposed to say. But this is as professional as anyone can handle this. No body language analysis necessary

#Bears QB Jay Cutler just called Marc Trestman a “heck of a quarterback coach.” This is the theatre of the surreal.

Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer

Jay Cutler actually seems to be handling this in a pretty mature manner.

Cutler said this isn't as bad as it was in Denver in '09: "It wasn't an open dialogue in that situation. ... Night and Day."

Bears QB Jay Cutler on his reaction: "Shocked. Disappointed. I didn't see it coming."

Jeff Darlington ‏@JeffDarlington

Cutler: "A lot of money involved in my contract... that comes with a lot of expectations." ...says he he can still work with Trestman in 15.

 

[bah007]

You know you have a bad reputation when people react to your lack of a reaction...

It's like the media wants Cutler to start creating problems.

 

[Playoffs]

It's like the media wants Cutler to start creating problems.

Really interesting press conference. Talked about McDaniel, heaped pretty big praise on Trestman:

Mark's a heck of a football coach, a heck of a offensive coach, a heck of a QBs coach... I still believe that.​

I think Cutler's battles with OCs have always been about his preference for moving off the spot and their resistance to it.

 

[Brisco_County]

Cutler has to be thinking about life after Chicago. The way he handles himself right now lends to his future chances.

At the same time, he may also just be a mature person in situations like this.

I'm also not surprised by the Aaron Rodgers quotes. He and Cutler are good friends.

 

[Scooter]

i find cutler to be a bit of a curiosity, probably because i dont watch the bears much. the bears have never really been known for their offenses though, and seem to have real trouble finding coordinators and offensive linemen. matt forte's a solid back, but he's only really had 1 good year running the ball. what would cutler look like in a more stable offense?

 

[Playoffs]

First this...

Robbie Gould critical of decision to bench Jay Cutler

“To be honest with you, I feel really bad for Jay,” Gould said on The Speigel and Mannelly Show on WSCR-AM 670. “When you’re having a tough season like this, he’s not the guy to be the scapegoat or the guy to blame. There’s a lot of guys you could put that blame on. Unfortunately, I don’t know if necessarily he’s a guy that should take the entire blame because he doesn’t deserve it."
...
“I honestly don’t even know what the message is, Pat, to be honest with you,” Gould said. “I just think it’s been a long season. I think [Trestman] thought maybe he thought this was going to provide a spark to the team. That’s what he told us. I wish Jay was out there playing.”
...
“You could bench the whole team,” he said. “It’s not like anybody has really played fantastic or great. I mean, we’re 5-10 now. So ... Jay is not the problem. Jay is not the issue. It’s just unfortunate. This is, honestly, it’s not the Bear way. I mean, this whole season is not the Bear way. Pointing fingers, things getting out of the locker room -- that’s not the Chicago Bear way.

“I think, for me, being around the organization for, now, 10 years, seeing guys like Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs, who most likely have walked through the tunnel for the last time, it’s tough because we weren’t taught this way under Lovie (Smith, former head coach). We weren’t taught to do these sort of things and we always stayed together as close-knit as we possibly could. You don’t have to like everyone. You don’t need to like everyone. But you have to respect them and show up to work and go to work every day for those people. So I think it’s very difficult because, honestly, this isn’t the Chicago Bear way.”

Then this...

Concussion ends Jimmy Clausen's season; Jay Cutler to start finale

On the final drive of the Bears' 20-14 loss to Detroit, Clausen was hit hard by the Lions' Ezekiel Ansah on a play that drew an unnecessary roughness penalty. The team said he showed no signs of a concussion immediately after the hit and was allowed to participate in the final four plays of the drive. The team said he passed all testing by team physicians after the game and reported no concussion symptoms.

Clausen experienced delayed symptoms later Sunday evening and contacted team trainers. The Bears said he was taken to a hospital where he was further examined by a team physician and diagnosed with a concussion...