Head Coach Josh McDaniels sat down with NFL Network for a one-on-one interview. The interview can be viewed in its entirety below.
Below are excerpts from the interview.
Scott Hanson: What’s the latest on the Jay Cutler situation?
Josh McDaniels: We’re working through that. Jay and I will have an opportunity to talk more as we go here. I know it’s been a very public issue and this is something that I think happens more than people realize. We have a relationship, nobody knows where it stands right now, but it’s going to get better. It will continue to get better, I believe that. I think it’s something that both parties have to work toward a solid resolution. We have a good nucleus of players there that are looking forward to seeing him back at the facility and working with him. It will get to that point at some point in the near future.
Hanson: Do you see him as the quarterback of the Denver Broncos?
McDaniels: Yes. He’s our quarterback.
Hanson: Present-tense…
McDaniels: He’s our quarterback. Period.
Hanson: Future-tense? He will be your quarterback?
McDaniels: He’s our quarterback. We can’t predict the future. He’s our quarterback, we want him to be our quarterback, we made that very clear to him and we hope he feels the same way.
Hanson: (Cutler) has asked for a trade and he says he wants to leave. He’s still under contract with Denver, so is the door open in your mind for him to still be the (Broncos’) quarterback?
McDaniels: Sure. Absolutely. He’s under contract as you mentioned and we’ve made it clear that we want him to be back here (in Denver) and lead our football team.
Hanson: But your job is to make the football team as good as it can be, and that sometimes includes changing personnel. Is that still on the table? A trade?
McDaniels: Every decision we make is based on trying to do what’s best for the football team in order for us to win and improve. That’s always going to be the way that this job is. This was just a very highly-publicized situation that was brought to the forefront. (Cutler) is obviously one of our better players, our best players. He’s a good leader and we’re looking forward to having him back here with us.
Hanson: You really feel that the relationship is not irreparable?
McDaniels: I absolutely feel that it is not irreparable.
Hanson: Is it a lack of communication? Have you been able to put your finger on what’s gone wrong so far?
McDaniels: It’s just a situation that came up. I think there are some things out there that are not necessarily true, and there are some other things that are definitely true. We have to work through those things are make sure that the lines of communication stay open. I think that’s the biggest thing, in terms of getting over any kind of an issue that a player may have with an organization or a coach. It’s the same thing that (the organization) has to do when there is an issue with a player. We want to come directly to (the player) and work through it and communicate to find a common ground that we can start going forward and working toward a good resolution.
Hanson: What’s not true? You stated that there were some things (in the situation with Cutler) that were not true. We can clear that up right now.
McDaniels: There are just things that I think have been out there that make for good stories. Was there something that occurred right at the beginning of free agency? Sure, there was. There were conversations and that’s really where it kind of ends. There wasn’t anything that came across (Pat) Bowlen’s desk, there wasn’t anything that we were trying to push hard to get through. It never even got to (Bowlen). Conversations were had and we’ve never denied that, but at the same time it’s our job to look at every opportunity that we can to see if it’s something that could improve our football team and that’s what we were doing.
Hanson: You have talked to (Cutler) since then. There are reports of a conference call and a face-to-face meeting. Can you confirm that?
McDaniels: Yes, we have.
Hanson: Do you feel that Cutler understands where you and the franchise are coming from right now?
McDaniels: I hope so. We haven’t held anything back. I think the big thing is that we need to continue to communicate and I’d love to have the opportunity to continue to meet with Cutler face-to-face. I think that’s the best type of communication at this point to try to work toward a resolution.
For more on the conversation with McDaniels and today’s other news from the NFL Annual Meeting, tune into NFL Total Access tonight at 5:00 p.m. MDT, on NFL Network.
Tags: Josh McDaniels
I am sick of the media sayin mcd tried to trade cutler. yes he listened to the offers. he weighed his options and nothing made it to bowlens desk. bellichick even said denver did NOT make any offers to them for cassel. the media continues to lie and i blame them for this. once cutler stops listening to the media and bus cook he should come around. maybe elway can be his mentor and talk to him. all those outsiders like espn and bus cook need to stay out of the way and let mcd and cutler work it out. maybe cutler does not trust mcd. a super bowl ring will fix that.
I’m sick of it all, hahaha, just get over it Jay. Man, u are my fav player on this great team. But u are not untouchable. AS for McKid, man up, tell him u jacked it up by not informing he was being shopped. Both of u stop being crazy dudes and man up.
BLEED ORANGE AND BLUE
THIS IS A GREAT TEAM. IT HAS A BIG SPEEDBUMP TO GET OVER RIGHT NOW. THEY WILL GET THROUGH IT. WE WILL HAVE JAY NEXT YEAR! MARK THOSE WORDS.
Bleed Orange and Blue!
OK, We FINALLY got a blog post about the Cutler ordeal!!
Thank You MCDaniels for finally TAKING ACTION, showing some leadership abilities and making an effort to show Jay you want him in Denver…I would have left out the “we can’t predict the future” comment and just stuck with the we want you stuff..but all in all I’ll give you a GOOD JOB!!
Oh and for all you sayin Cuter’s not an elite QB yet bla bla bla..granted I’ll give it to you that he has a lot to prove still but that’s mostly because our Defense sucked so bad he never got a fair opportunity. He didn’t CHOKE at the end of the year, they just had no help from the D.
Here’s a great stat i saw..
Cutler is 13-1 when our D hold opponents to 21 points or less!!!
Come man our DEFENSE SUCKS…and should be the MAJOR focal point of improvement!! ..It had more to do with playcalling and D coordinator than with players, so i’m not bashing all our guys, but we do need some more talent on D!! PLEASE DRAFT DEFENSE!!!
stats are for losers. 12 and 1 when the D holds opp to 21 or less. ok but.
stats are for losers, in the last 37 games denver has scored 24 points or less 26 times.
we could all find stats to support anything. the only thing that matters is jay cutler WILL be a bronco or not in NFL next year. we are keeping him.
God I hope so Culterlized!
And well said Michael laughs.
I’m glad to see the McD has finally spoke the the media about it, because without that the media would just keep making stuff up and making the situation worse. I like Cutler but I don’t know how well he’ll do in the New England system, so I’m not sure a contract extension is a good idea…yet. Maybe they can sit down and work out a deal where he plays this year, sees how the system works for both of them, if it goes well, THEN ofter the contract extension and more money.
I also think that McD told him not to come to that first meeting to avoid distractions. Jay, please don’t get a new team…get a new agent! Don’t become the next Steve McNair.
forget all this 2010 is afc championship year crap lets get this ship righted and go grab a super bowl!
champ24thebeast – Jay was never actually shopped. I think that is the biggest inconsistency that has gotten blown up by the media.
Belichick himself even said there were talks only, no offers made. McD said in this interview that nothing ever crossed Bowlen’s desk. In reality, Josh really hasn’t done anything wrong. Even Elway was mentioned in trade talks at one point. He just got his butt in there, manned up and led his team.
Cutler may have a stronger arm than Elway did, but how about his heart and character?
Get your butt back in there, man up and lead your team.
Jay’s under contract so he should honor it. These guys are professionals so it’s time to act like men. McD has clearly stated that he wants Jay as his QB. There is no ass kissing required here.
I’ve gone back and forth in this emotional roller coaster ride but today it all comes down to this. Ultimately I side with McD and Bowlen on this one, even though I totally understand where Jay is coming from.
McD came in here with the responsibility to do whatever is necessary to win. That is his job. All he’s done so far is bolster our D and get the team excited about winning again. Trading Leach and bringing in his brother are question marks yes, but so far there really isn’t much to criticize him for.
If Elway can be brought up in trade talks, if Shanahan can be fired, then Jay Cutler isn’t untouchable either. Plain and simple. Jay needs to understand that.
I completely understand that Jay got thrown back by it, maybe even got his feelings hurt. I understand being angry about Simms making more money than him. An injured backup making more than a Pro Bowler? It just ain’t fair. I understand everything except asking to be traded and not showing up to get to work.
Elway didn’t ask for a trade! A leader doesn’t tuck tail and run in the face of adversity. Deion Sanders said it best. He hasn’t won anything in this league yet. Get your butt back in there, man up and lead your team.
Cassel went 11-5 last year. Is he better than Cutler? Well, not talent wise that’s for sure. But he did have a higher QB rating and a much better defense. The league should restructure how teams make the playoffs, and maybe even add 2-4 more teams that make it. An 11-5 team misses the playoffs yet an 8-8 team gets in? Something isn’t right with that but that is another subject.
As far as our defense last year goes, they had some really shining moments. There were a couple of times I remember they displayed some really gutty goal line stances, even a 4th and one, and denied the TD.
I’m not so sure they are lacking hugely in talent there. It may have been more the coaching and the scheme than it was their talent. See, I think McD and Nolan knows these things much better than we do.
Maybe that’s why he’s addressed only a few positions on defense. IMHO, he’s hit the right places. Both our safeties last year were atrocious. Couldn’t cover, couldn’t tackle. Bly needed to go too. Besides a legitimate MLB, the LB’s are quick and tough. I like ‘em.
We should be optimistic and excited about the season, just as the players are. So far everyone is moving in the right direction, except for Cutler. I hope he gets some wise counsel soon. Get off the Bus and get back in here and lead your team.
NO TRADE NO WAY!!!
First, all you people saying that Simms is making more than Culter are totally ignoring all the very large bonuses that Culter can earn that will bring his salary into the $10 million dollar range. Also, remember it’s his “genius” agent that had the contract structured that way.
While I was not totally satisfied with McDaniels interview because he never would say just what stories were not true, I’m pleased to see that he appears to be wiiling to take the extra step to get things ironed out. I’m glad that he never said that Jay was untradeable. If the right offer is made, any player can and will be traded. If I remember Dallas Cowboy history correctly, they traded THE premier running back at the time, Herschel Walker, to the Minnesota Vikings. They got several long term starters including a pro-bolwer or two in the deal. It made them Super Bowl contenders for several years. Can this happen with Jay? Possible, but not probable. Will he and Jay ever gather around a campfire and sign Cumbia? Probably not, but Elway, despite his well known hatred for Reeves still sucked it up and did everything he could do to win a Super Bowl with Reeves at the helm. If Jay is going to compare himself to Elway, then he needs to do as Elway did and suck it up and be a true leader. McDaniel has very publicly held out an olive branch. It’s Jay’s turn to also eat a little humble pie and reciprocate.
I know I was not going to blog but since I know you will not let this thru….. you(oldsouthstander) forget the then Baltimore Colts. I have told you I love Elway but you keep coparing there situations. They are apples and oranges. Lets go back to 1983. What was Terry Bratshaw saying about Elway, along with others, because he refused to play for the team that drafted him?????? Elway had taken 0 snapes in the NFL. Cutler man up be a leader….yousay this and compare it to elway when he had already been in super bowls ect. But when he started he was just as young, and had a ego just the same. Oh, they were calling Elway.. cry baby, young punk, man up and play for the team that drafted you ect.
wow! sorry I did not think that would go thru. Hope I did not hurt any feelings. Lets just say I hope everything works out cause all this fighting between fans(my self included) and the broncos has , made me tired.
I JUST WANT MY OFFENSE BACK!!
Just wanted u guys who keep saying simms is making more than cutler. That was the way the contract was signed 48 million for 6 years. Thats 8 million a year. yes he will only get 1 this year, but he is scheduled to make 14 million the last year i believe.
lynch4prez, I’ve got nothing against Cutler I just want Him to HONOR His 48 Million dollar contract and LEAD The TEAM I love.
Broncs55, your right when you said “The only problem here is the media. That one little trade talk got leaked.” but you should’ve added leaked by the un-named source(bus cook cough…)close to Cutler.
as far as out performing His contract , that’s debatable. I’m not trying to dog you or your comments.
15themarshall15 Says:
March 23rd, 2009 at 9:08 pm
for one thats all he wants is money his back up makes more then him and the team was willing to pay matt cassel 14 million.
I’m not trying to dog you either 15themarshall15, but lets get it staight.
Chris Simms signed a two year contract for 6mill
Jay Cutler signed a 6 year 48 Mill contract
and the Broncos Never offered 14Mill to get Cassel, There for Cutler Has no right to be pissed. bus cook is playing his victim card for more money.
michaellaughs, Loved your post!
Bones1965, texark-fan is right you can manipulate stats all you want. Infact JAY CUTLER (BRONCOS)(as you so put it) were 1-7 when the offense scored 21 or less last year.
someone else said something about the D giving up 41 against NE last year. Whoever said that should look at the game book 5 turnovers and 4 3&outs in that game. It’s NOT all the D’s fault.
oldsouthstander, once again words of wisdom.
TIME OF POSSESSION ! ! !
GO BRONCOS ! ! !
i will always be a bronco fan. now that mcd has spoken up i am a complete mcd fan too. i will always blame this on the media and bus cook but now it is time for cutler to do his part. stop listening to the media and bus cook and talk to mcd one on one
mrbroncofan – I am in alliance with you on this and agree what you’re saying about the media. They LOVE drama and the Love all the ratings. Its definitely caught my attention. I’ve been a broncos fan since 1986 and I believe this year is my 1st year that I’ve been diving into the Broncos Organization on and off season religiously! Anyhow to make a long story short. Its all on Jay Cutler to go in there, meet with McD (which he’s manned up a bit now) and settle this for sure. That way the Media can stop creaming their pants over this and I can stop choking out my friends who are Raider Fans.
and I can see myself roCCin one of those Throwback Culter Jerseys, ( i dunno about the soCCs though)
Broncogangsta86, Never stp chockin out Raiders fans, friends or not. HeHeHe!
OOPS! Chokin out…
OK Big boy if you read this you need to come out and lead this team MC.D has just given you the reins to take your spot as captain ! Now MAN UP and get your butt back !!
GO BRONCOS !!!!!!!
Ya, thanks for pointing that out. I honestly think that the whole thing allways gets blown up in the media, but i guess they have to do their jobs. I can’t stand the fact ath we have this stupid distraction. Eh, give it time, it will work out, right!
BLEED ORANGE AND BLUE!
I see there are still some blaming Bus Cook for alerting the media but I don’t see how he would know about it if it was inter-coach phonecalls. I think McD has admitted that he did not handle/communicate things well so why don’t we just leave it at that. Now that Jay has been given an olive branch it is down to him to come in and talk to the coach and sort things out man to man.
The sooner he is back the sooner we can consign this storm in a teacup to the past and they can all work together for the greater good.