Jay Cutler was selected by the Denver Broncos in the 2006 NFL Draft with the 11th overall pick in April 2006. Three months later, the Vanderbilt University right quarterback from Santa Claus, Indiana, signed a six-year contract with the Broncos. worth 48 million dollars. The relationship between the Denver Broncos and particularly head coach Mike Shanahan was successful for the young quarterback as he flourished under Coach Shanahan.
After moving out of the third-row quarterback position during training camp in 2006 (passing over to quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt to become the backup), Cutler officially became the Broncos’ starter at the end of his tenure. rookie season. On November 27, 2006, head football coach Mike Shanahan, who had coached John Elway to consecutive Super Bowl wins, announced that Cutler would replace veteran quarterback Jake Plummer in the starting lineup.
The late-season shakeup of replacing a proven quarterback in Jake Plummer with a rookie was the end result of pressure from the fan base to see some kind of productive move taken to get the team to the playoffs. . The 2006 season was a rollercoaster ride for Broncos fans that saw its fair share of ups and downs. After starting the season with seven wins in nine games with Plummer as the starting quarterback, the team fell back in a row and at that point turned to rookie Jay Cutler in hopes of salvaging the season.
Fortunately, for Cutler, his first starting role came in a home game in the friendly confines of Invesco Field at Mile High, where the Broncos play all of their home games at approximately 5,280 feet above sea level. sea. Unfortunately for Cutler, cold December weather in Colorado did not provide favorable passing conditions for his Dec. 3 debut as the NFL’s starting quarterback, and the Broncos fell to the Seattle Seahawks by a narrow 23-20 margin. .
Jay Cutler earned his first win as an NFL quarterback two weeks later, on December 17, 2006, when an offensive explosion propelled the Denver Broncos past the Arizona Cardinals with a final score of 37-20. Jay followed up Arizona’s victory with a victory on Christmas Eve against the Cincinnati Bengals by posting a 24-23 victory.
Sadly for fans of Cutler and the Broncos, an upset overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers on New Year’s Eve gave the AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs the final playoff spot ahead of the Broncos. Denver Broncos. Despite a 7-2 start to the 2006 season, the Broncos did not make the playoffs. Cutler never led the Broncos to the playoffs during his three years in Denver, but he did reach Pro Bowl status in 2008 before being traded to the Chicago Bears.
