Biggs: Will Bears extend Cutler?

BOURBONNAIS, Ill.—Jay Cutler sent congratulations to Eli Manning with a smile Wednesday when he was asked about the blockbuster contract for the Super Bowl XLII MVP.

Players like seeing players get paid, and Cutler knows his turn at the bargaining table is coming, maybe sooner than he thinks.

APJay Cutler

Although the new face of the franchise has three seasons remaining on the rookie contract he signed in Denver, the Bears have more than $20 million available in salary cap room and a history of doing contract extensions in season. One question is whether the organization takes a wait-and-see approach with labor questions looming. The Bears don’t need to wait to evaluate Cutler. They didn’t trade two first-round picks, a third-round pick and Kyle Orton to get a look-see before determining if he’s indeed their future.

General Manager Jerry Angelo said he doesn’t feel the need to move quickly because he knows agent Bus Cook isn’t going to offer him an early bird discount. Obviously, the sides have to determine what the market is for Cutler, and an extension for Philip Rivers in San Diego could help shape that. Rivers told reporters Wednesday he is “optimistic” about an extension as he prepares to enter the final year of his rookie contract. In New England, Tom Brady has two years remaining on his deal, meaning there is probably about a 13-month window on an extension because the Patriots surely don’t want their star to enter a contract season.

APNow that Manning has cashed in, is Cutler next?

“At a certain point, there is going to be a time and a place for that,” Cutler said. “This year, I still have to go out and play and prove myself on the field and then, you know, maybe after this season, maybe after the next season, we’ll sit down and talk and see what we can do.”

Under Angelo, the Bears routinely approach players during season about extensions, writing new deals for center Olin Kreutz, defensive end Alex Brown and fullback Jason McKie, among others, in recent years. The goal is to apply surplus cap room to the books of the current year. If they don’t pursue Cutler, tight end Greg Olsen could potentially meet them at the bargaining table. He’s signed through 2011 and is expected to surge this season.

“Who knows what all teams are thinking going into the last year of the CBA?” one personnel director said. “It’s business as usual for the Giants. I think most teams are approaching it like that, like there will be labor peace.”

The threat of an uncapped year will not reduce the price for top quarterbacks.

“Peyton [Manning] and Tom, they kind of raised the bar and got big contracts, and then Eli followed it up,” Cutler said. “Philip has played great the last two or three years out in San Diego. There are some guys in line to get paid. We’ll see how it goes in Chicago this year.”

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