Here are the facts about Jay Cutler:

With a mediocre Broncos team and a host of injured running backs along the way, Cutler put up these numbers between 2006 – 2008…

• 17 – 20 record, 54 TD, 37 INT, 24 Fumbles, and a team record never better than .500

With a mediocre Bears team and a bad offensive line, Cutler once again finds himself on the wrong side of .500.  2009 is Jay Cutler’s 4th year in the NFL, and while he has a Pro Bowl appearance, he hasn’t shown the propensity to bring the players around him to the next level.  The result: mediocre records with mediocre teams – hardly the mark of a franchise player.  Let’s take a look at some other starting quarterbacks around the NFL.

Peyton Manning struggled his first year (3-13), then put up 10 wins or more in 10 of his next 11 seasons, all with the same team.

Eli Manning struggled his first year (1-6), then went 41-23 in the regular season the next 4 years and added a Super Bowl victory to the resume.

Ben Roethlisberger, drafted 11th overall in the 1st round, just like Cutler a couple years later, started his career on fire and has never looked back with a 13-0 record as a rookie, a 51-20 overall records and 2 Super Bowl victories.

Philip Rivers learned on the bench his first 2 years, then posted a 33-15 record the next 3 years and won 3 playoff games in the tough AFC.

Tom Brady, a 6th round pick, has an ungodly 87-24 regular season record and a ridiculous postseason record of 14-4.

Vince Young, erratic as he has been, was drafted the same year as Cutler and has an 18-11 record, not counting a perfect 4-0 record in ’09 so far.

Tony Romo has been questioned for his leadership and his abilities, but Romo has posted a 27-12 record in almost 3 full seasons with the Cowboys.

Joe Flacco has taken an iffy Baltimore team and made them winners.

David Garrard (yes, even David Garrard) has managed the oft-lowly Jaguars to a 24-22 record while at the helm between 2002 – 2008.

Jake Delhomme, interceptions and all, has a decade of winning behind him, taking the Panthers (and 2 games w/the Saints) to a 50-31 record.  The Panthers!

And, of course, there’s Kyle Orton.  Orton is constantly reminded of his lack of ability, but somehow managed to take a mediocre Bears team with a good defense and put up a solid 21-12 record, despite having many of the same problems Cutler has on offense now.  Then, Orton took Cutler’s same mediocre team in Denver and rattled off 6 quick victories to start 2009 before a slump and injuries began to take a toll.  Still, the team is 6-4 and has playoff potential.

So would someone please tell me how Jay Cutler, a quarterback with supposed accuracy and god-given talent, can’t lead a team from 2 historically strong franchises to anything better than a .500 record?!  Jay Cutler’s salary is on par with many of the quarterbacks above, but he lacks the one thing the rest of them have: a winning record.

(all QB records are as of 2008)