Daily Times (Primos, PA)

Gase: Cutler didn’t delay his retirement to stand on sideline

- By Steven Wine

DAVIE, FLA. » New Miami Dolphins quarterbac­k Jay Cutler won’t play in the team’s exhibition opener Thursday, but look for him to be starting soon enough.

“He didn’t come out to stand on the coach Adam Gase said.

Cutler missed Monday’s practice because it took place as he landed in South Florida to sign a $10 million, one-year contract. The 34-year-old Cutler decided to delay the start of his network TV career for the chance to replace Ryan Tannehill and be reunited with Gase, his former offensive coordinato­r with the Chicago Bears.

“A situation like this doesn’t come along very often,” said Cutler, wearing a polo shirt bearing the Dolphins logo. “I know Adam very well; I know the system. And you’re talking about a playoff team with a lot of really, really good players and a lot of potential.”

Cutler is expected to leapfrog longtime Dolphins backup Matt Moore for the starting job while Tannehill remains out with a left knee injury that likely will sideline him for the entire season.

Gase reached out to Cutler shortly after Tannehill was hurt of retirement sideline,”

Thursday and said the former Bear needed no persuading to launch a comeback.

But Cutler likened the conversati­ons with Gase to college recruiting, saying the decision to return was difficult.

He parted with the Bears in March after eight seasons, and was then hired by Fox as an analyst to work in its No. 2 NFL broadcast said in a statement released by his sports management firm the incident occurred in March.

Estrella Cerqueira, who is the mother of Landry’s daughter, said in the statement that the couple had a “vocal disagreeme­nt” but that she never felt physical threatened and that nothing violent took place. She said someone else she did not identify called police.

“I would like to make it very clear that Jarvis would never, ever do anything to harm me or anyone else,” Cerqueira said.

“Jarvis and I are happily raising our beautiful daughter and I would like to make a plea to the media that they refrain from spreading this completely false story,” she added.

booth.

“The last four months I’ve been in a different mindset, getting ready for the Fox deal,” Cutler said. “I was pretty good with where I was in my life; I was around the kids a lot and felt pretty content. So I went back and forth on this. My wife talked me into it more than anybody else . ... I think she got tired of me being around the house.”

In 2015, Cutler had a careerbest quarterbac­k rating while with Gase, who then joined the Dolphins. What will Cutler’s learning curve be with the offensive scheme?

“I’m pretty sure he’s already got it,” Gase said. “He’s good.”

Ramping up Cutler’s strength may take longer, said.

“I’m sure he wasn’t in the backyard throwing a hundred balls a day,” the coach said.

Cutler said his two sons and pickup basketball games at his alma mater, Vanderbilt, helped him stay in shape. He missed time last year with a sprained right thumb and a labrum injury that required season-ending right shoulder surgery in December, but said he’s healthy now and confident his arm will be fine.

“It’ll come back pretty arm Gase quickly,” Cutler said. “I’m not worried about the throwing part. Getting used to the guys and the more detailed stuff, that’s what we’re going to have to hit the fast-forward button on.”

The acquisitio­n of Cutler has potential to divide a locker room where Moore enjoys strong support, especially after he helped Miami clinch a playoff berth while Tannehill was sidelined last December.

But Gase is popular with his players and said he explained to them why he wanted Cutler.

“I was very upfront with everything,” Gase said. “We felt this gave us an opportunit­y to have two really good quarterbac­ks on our team. We wanted to make sure if something happened, we weren’t going to have a falloff. I think our guys understand that.”

 ?? LYNNE SLADKY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? New Dolphins quarterbac­k Jay Monday in Davie, Fla. Cutler speaks at a news conference
LYNNE SLADKY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS New Dolphins quarterbac­k Jay Monday in Davie, Fla. Cutler speaks at a news conference

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