Kenard Lang: Cutler already 'labeled a quitter'

Jones High School football coach Kenard Lang was watching the NFC Championship Game on Sunday and saw Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler leave with an injured left knee.

He and a former teammate were communicating at the time, and they had the same thought.

"Could you ever imagine Brett Favre doing that?'' Lang said."No.''

Cutler has been a source of controversy since his falling-out with then-Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels led to a trade to the Bears after the 2008 season. That controversy has heightened as some NFL players and fans have questioned how hurt Cutler was and whether he could have continued playing with a shot at the Super Bowl at stake.

When Cutler was replaced by Todd Collins in the third quarter, the Bears trailed 14-0. Third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie engineered a comeback, but the Green Bay Packers prevailed for a 21-14 victory.

"You have to be taken off the field on a stretcher to come out of a game like that,'' said Lang, who played 10 NFL seasons with the Redskins (1997-2001), Browns (2002-05) and Broncos (2006). "Once you get a reputation, it sticks with you.''

Cutler said he is scheduled for an MRI on his left knee Monday. Lang said the results may not change how Cutler is viewed by the public.

"The damage is done, MRI on not,'' Lang said. "They've already labeled him as a quitter.''

Lang made two playoff appearances in his career, with the Redskins after the 1999 season and with the Browns in 2002. He never advanced past the divisional round.

Then there is the case of former NFL player Ken Harvey, a friend of Lang's. Harvey played 11 seasons in the NFL and never made the postseason.

"When you get to the playoffs and then to the NFC Championship Game, there is no such thing as an injury,'' Lang said. "You might walk with a limp for the rest of your life, but is it worth it to get to the Super Bowl?

"Absolutely.''

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(orlandosentinel.com)