DANA POINT, Calif. — If McJaygate were a football game, and not a soap opera, Josh McDaniels and Jay Cutler might be approaching the red zone.
In what could be a significant development toward placating their contentious relationship, McDaniels and Cutler were to speak by phone Tuesday night.
No agent Bus Cook. No owner Pat Bowlen. Just coach and quarterback.
“I’m looking forward to doing that,” McDaniels said.
Can they reach a resolution?
As Tuesday night wore on, McDaniels, the 32-year-old former New England offensive coordinator, and Cutler, the Broncos’ 25-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback, had exchanged messages but had yet to speak. Apparently, the drama that is McJaygate will reach at least Day 25 today. However, a resolution could be near. McDaniels made it clear Tuesday during the annual AFC coaches’ breakfast he has no intentions of trading Cutler, although he stopped short of saying his quarterback is untouchable.
Cutler is receptive to talking personally with McDaniels.
“One thing I want to do and continually want to do is meet with the player,” McDaniels said Tuesday morning. “I want to meet with the player by myself. I want to meet with the player one on one. I think that’s the best way to fix any kind of issue.”
It was brought up to McDaniels that he kept referring to Cutler as “the player” and not by name. The impersonal reference was believed to have been carried down from Bill Parcells to Bill Belichick to his assistants, including McDaniels.
“He’s our quarterback,” McDaniels said. “And I’m not calling him just the player. I’ll call him Jay Cutler if you want me to.”
There has been friction between the coach and the quarterback since McDaniels engaged in a three-team trade proposal in late February that would have sent Cutler to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England’s Matt Cassel to Denver. Cassel was instead dealt to Kansas City, but Cutler felt misled and betrayed by McDaniels.
Since the discord became public, Cutler and McDaniels have had two conversations, the first time by conference call and, most recently, March 14 in person. Bowlen participated in the conference call. Cutler was accompanied by Cook, his agent, for each conversation. Their most recent meeting went so poorly, Cutler formally issued a trade request.
The Broncos have not acted upon that request, although many teams have inquired about Cutler’s availability.
“People have left messages. I can say that,” said McDaniels, adding he personally has not been contacted by any coaches or executives regarding Cutler at these league meetings, which end today.
Cutler skipped McDaniels’ first team meeting last week and has yet to participate in the voluntary offseason conditioning program. The next quasi deadline in the dispute would be the team’s first mini-camp, April 17-19. The Broncos clarified Tuesday their first mini-
camp remains voluntary to the players. Only one of a team’s two mini-camps can be designated “mandatory” by rules of the collective bargaining agreement. The mini-camp the Broncos have labeled mandatory will be held June 12-14.
Still, the first mini-camp is the week before the NFL draft, when most football trades are made. If Cutler doesn’t show up April 17, would the Broncos then consider trading him?
“No. Nope. He’s under contract,” McDaniels said. “He’s our quarterback. I have confidence that he’ll — I’m not exactly sure when that will be, but I have confidence that it’ll take place.”
Cutler has three more years remaining on a six-year contract he signed before his rookie season. One of the last remaining obstacles in McJaygate may involve McDaniels’ repeated credo that any player can be traded if it would help the team. McDaniels doesn’t believe it is good for the team if such “untouchable” proclamations are stamped on one player.
If Cutler is told he is untouchable, wouldn’t Champ Bailey have the right to expect the same designation? Still, given the publicly charged situation with Cutler, McDaniels would have a strong chance of bringing closure to McJaygate if he delivered a no-trade exception to his quarterback.
“I think I would be contradicting myself if I said that,” McDaniels said. “Like I said, he’s our quarterback. We’re committed to him, and we will always do what’s in the best interest of our team. That’s why we’re talking about this right now, because there was a scenario that was presented that was considered. I’m not going to fall back from that.”
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
