LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- It didn't take long for Jay Cutler to figure out that Chicago is where he wants to be and the Bears don't want to let him go.
Acquired from the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster offseason trade for Kyle Orton, the quarterback is locked in through the 2013 season after signing a two-year contract extension late Tuesday. A relieved Cutler says he hopes to finish his career in Chicago and that he's "done with this moving stuff."
The deal, which runs through the 2013 season, includes about $20 million guaranteed and roughly $30 million in new money, a league source told NFL Network's Jason La Canfora.
"I wanted to be here awhile and the Bears wanted me to be here awhile," Cutler said Wednesday. "It worked out for both of us."
Bears general manager Jerry Angelo had no intention of signing Cutler to an extension this season but quickly warmed up to the idea after having a close look at him.
"Having a loyalty to the team is very, very important to me and very important to the organization," Angelo said. "We want loyal players. That's why we reward our own, because loyalty is a two-way street."
Cutler was due about another $20 million for the remainder of the six-year, $48 million contract that he signed as a rookie, although none of that was guaranteed. Now Cutler can earn up to $50 million over the next four-plus seasons, with $20 million guaranteed, and still be in line for another big contract if he continues to play at a Pro Bowl level. He also has a chance to supplement his income playing in one of the nation's biggest media markets.
The Bears presumably would be willing to give Cutler another big contract in a few years, particularly since they have him at a competitive rate at the moment.
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By signing Cutler to the extension, the Bears can apply some of the deal to their salary cap this year, when they had space available, and maintain flexibility to build around him in the future.
Locking in Cutler gives the team "clarity," Angelo said, and will not "impede us from doing anything we need (to improve)."
Had the Bears waited, the price for a franchise quarterback might have risen even higher than it did this past offseason, when Kansas City's Matt Cassel ($63 million), the New York Giants' Eli Manning ($97 million) and San Diego's Philip Rivers ($93 million) received lucrative six-year deals.
"I think it's a fair deal for me," Cutler said. "It's fair for the Bears. I'm happy with it."
Angelo pointed out those other quarterbacks were entering the final year of their contracts and that Cutler still will be young enough to command a lucrative long-term deal when this one ends, so "it's not apples to apples."
"I'm sure he's very confident in his abilities and what he can do and the landscape that could be out there for quarterbacks," Angelo said. "He may get another big bite of the apple."
Cutler threw four interceptions in a season-opening loss at Green Bay. Since then, he has delivered as advertised while leading the Bears to a 3-2 record.
Cutler led the Bears to back-to-back comeback victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks after the loss to the Packers while completing more than 70 percent of his passes, and he's chipping away at the losing reputation that he developed in Denver, where he was 17-20.
"He deserves it," Bears center Olin Kreutz said of Cutler signed the extension. "He's got the best arm I've ever seen. Some of the throws he makes are unbelievable. He makes our offense go. He's a great leader and a great teammate. He's everything you'd want in a quarterback."
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
