Jay Cutler responds to Martellus Bennett's comments about leadership

It's a tired topic, but one that will be written about for years to come, even after he's out of the league-- Jay Cutler's likeability, leadership, attitude, mannerisms, etc. both on and off the field.  He is a polarizing figure, for better of worse, and outside of his sideline demeanor, there are plenty of things that people want to talk about: his athleticism, his sometimes reckless approach to playing quarterback, whether to blame him for things or blame the awful offensive lines and revolving offensive coordinators, his hefty contract and the return on that investment, and the list goes on and on.

So it's no surprise when you ask the right person, someone who is really out-spoken and without much of a filter, what they think of Cutler... well, it was no surprise what teammate and starting tight end Martellus Bennett had to say in an intimate interview with Chicago Magazine.

"There are veterans that people follow," he says after a long pause, "and then you've got guys that lead the offense, get everyone lined up, get to your spot, do what you need to do, let's do our plays."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement for his starting quarterback, especially one that has been drug through the dirt for so long that it would make more sense to be diplomatic in approach-- but that's not Martellus' style.  Unless that was his way of being diplomatic, in which case I would hate to hear the truly unfiltered version.

Of, course, the first chance someone got, they asked Cutler about it.  Here's what he said after practice on Wednesday:

"Marty, he's going to be an opinionated guy," Cutler said in a peaceful tone. "It's just kind of who he is. That's not going to change anytime soon. Some of us agree with some of the stuff Marty says. Some of us don't agree with some of the stuff Marty says. But Marty's going to say it either way.

"Marty came down to Nashville (earlier in the summer). We've worked really closely these last couple, three or four weeks just because he's been gone (during the offseason). I talked to Marty today. I've got a good rapport with Marty, no matter what he says.

"I think he was trying to say there's different leaders in every company, and the Bears, we're not excluded from that group. Coach (John) Fox is going to lead differently than I am, and Adam Gase is going to lead differently than I am, and Marty's going to lead a different way from the way that I do. So it is what it is. I know he's doing everything possible to help us out. I'm excited for him."

Jay Cutler is smart enough and had enough coaching about public perception, filtering, and has always been the consummate professional when asked about his teammates.  He's had hundreds of opportunities to criticize players, their performance, their comments, and a wide array of other topics, but he's always been complimentary and kept dirty laundry behind closed doors.

At the end of the day, football is these guys' jobs. It's their work; what they do for a living.  They work very hard, year round, like most people, and of course it doesn't hurt that they are remarkably compensated in their jobs.  Also, like most people who work with other people, sometimes you like your coworkers, and sometimes you don't.

Ryan Pace is the boss, John Fox is the senior manager, and the players are the employees.  Regardless of whether you like your coworkers, you still have to show up and do your work every day, and sometimes that means working directly with those that you don't care for.

Some are more outspoken about their coworkers.  And others just keep their head down, do their job, and go home to their family every night.

But it's got to be difficult "clocking out" when so many people are obsessing over every word spoken and every action watched...

Either way, this will likely not go any further. Bennett may get asked a few questions here and there by the media, but for the most part we shouldn't expect this to blow up into a soap opera.  Football season is about to start, and Cutler will clock in and go to work every day.  Which means the focus will then shift back to his sideline demeanor.

Stay tuned...