Make no mistake, Jay Cutler remains excited about throwing passes to his new teammate, Brandon Marshall, next season.
The Bears quarterback says Marshall will stay out of trouble in Chicago, despite reports that the mercurial wideout was allegedly involved in a melee outside a New York club early Sunday in which he struck a woman in the eye. The story is troubling, but Cutler is calling for patience.
"I talked to Brandon yesterday, and I think he was bummed about it, the perception and everything, of him getting to Chicago and that being over his head," Cutler told "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "Let's not judge him quite yet."
Marshall was diagnosed in 2011 with borderline personality disorder, a struggle he's not been shy about.
"I know he has a checkered past, and Brandon is the first one to stand up and admit to that," Cutler said. "But I know deep down he's a good guy. He made some mistakes, but going forward I see nothing but bright things for the guy."
Cutler expressed confidence in Bears general manager Phil Emery as a "detail guy" who did his homework on Marshall before shipping two third-round picks to the Miami Dolphins for his services.
The acquisition has tacked another item on Cutler's to-do list: Keep Marshall away from Chicago's ample nightlife.
"He doesn't really go to the clubs at 4 a.m., I don't know how this stuff happens to him," Cutler said. "It just does sometimes. He'll be fine. I'm fully confident in saying that."
Tender early moments between a reunited quarterback and his star receiver, and a trade for the Bears that will be judged harshly if Marshall's off-the-field escapades aren't kept at bay.
