When I heard Jay Cutler signed a seven year extension (expected to be worth around $18 million per year, according to USA Today) with the Bears, I knew I had to search ESPN and other major news outlets for the quotes and the particulars, and Chicago outlets for how the deal would be perceived by Bears fans. From the Chicago Sun-Times (not quite as fun and opinionated as the Chicago Tribune, but still a solid paper, accoding to the one year I lived in the Windy City), I found pretty much exactly what I was looking for, highlighted by this early passage:

"Man, that's a lot of Jay," Sun-Times journalist Rick Morissey wrote. "A lot of scowls, sweet passes, maddening decisions, toughness and mumbled answers. Those of you who hate him will find him no more likable. Those of you who like him will continue to like him, but true love is probably out of the question. All of us are stuck with him, for better or for worse, until death or suicide do us part. So, deep breath. Seven years."

It's important to keep in mind that Morissey is an admitted Cutler hater. He doesn't go as far as to compare him to the "antichrist" as he notes others fans have done, but he reiterates a point he's made before: Jay Cutler isn't good enough to lead the Bears to a Super Bowl.

That, obviously, is the difference between Morissey and the Bear's management. They believe Cutler is capable enough to win a title. I (mostly) agree.

"It rewards Jay, and it helps the team continue to be able to build a championship-level team," Bears general manager Phil Emery told ESPN. Emery also cited the Detroit game, in which Cutler had a rough outing, but came up with some big throws late for the win.

Ironically, if Cutler's deal indeed comes out to $18 million per season, he'd be making exactly as much as Tony Romo, whose contract extension last summer was probably even more controversial. At that figure, only four quarterbacks would be making more annually, according to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel: Aaron Rodgers ($22 million), Joe Flacco ($20.1 million), Drew Brees ($20 million), Peyton Manning ($19.2 million). Just below him is Eli Manning ($16.25 million), Philip Rivers ($15.5 million), and Matt Schaub ($15.4 million). Of course, none of those contracts are more than 50 percent guaranteed.

Probably, most general managers would take Romo over Cutler, though both the Cowboys and the Bears had easier decisions than the Ravens did with Joe Flacco, rewarded with a big deal after he won the Super Bowl (even though he's less highly regarded from a talent standpoint). Had Flacco lost that game to Denver, maybe he doesn't get the same amount of money or number of years. At least Cutler at times plays like a top five quarterback. Flacco is probably more consistent, but he doesn't possess the same elusive talent as his Chicago counterpart. 

With the Bears suddenly juggernaut offense (they were in fine form against Green Bay; for once the defense was the issue) featuring Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery, and Martellus Bennett, a hot Cutler at the helm with an above average defense is probably good enough for a Super Bowl run. But Morissey doesn't think Cutler has it in him for a full season, or even a few playoff games. 

In today's NFL, however, it's much safer to lock up a quarterback with any level of Super Bowl potential than rebuilding and hoping to find one through the draft. Give a guy with Cutler's talent twelve years with a team, and likely he's going to get hot once in the playoffs. How many quarterbacks in NFL history have ever spent a prolonged period with one team and never at least made a few deep playoff runs? Rotate quarterbacks every few years, however, and a team may never even sniff the playoffs (recent examples like the Browns and the Bills).Cutler, kind of like other inconsistent but talented throwers (Romo, Eli Manning) always gives them a chance. Morissey knows that a chance is better than watching a bottom-feeder team.

By the end of Morissey's column, he supports the decision, even if he believes it will never land the city a Super Bowl. Welcome to rooting for a professional sports team (and managing one for that matter).

Winning a Super Bowl is only a small part (though eventually an essential part) of the fan-management experience; fielding a competitive team, showing an effort to field a competitive team (or an effort to field one in the future), and making smart decisions are all more important, at least in football where the playoffs are more Russian Roulette than the sure thing of the NBA playoffs. Sometimes, by just focusing on giving your team a fighting chance every year, every game, you're closer to the Super Bowl than you may think.