So what happens when an NFL quarterback hurts his knee early in the NFC Championship game and decides to sit the rest of the game out? If you’re Jay Cutler and can stand and walk the sidelines afterward and are seen riding a stationary bike to “try to loosen it up” then you’re toughness is going to get questioned.

After falling behind to the Green Bay Packers by a 14-0 score, the Bears somehow were staying in the one-sided game when Cutler who was clearly struggling completing 6-of-14 passes for 80 yards and one interception, pulled himself from the game. As most people know by now, that game ended 21-14 after back-up quarterback Todd Collins went 0 of 4 and was yanked in favor of youngster Caleb Hanie who finished the game.

While Hanie (13-of-20, 153 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT) battled hard against one of the league’s fiercest defenses, many of us were sitting home or out at a tavern scratching our heads at Cutler who appeared to have just plain quit. If a guy is too injured to return to a game on his home field with his team fighting for an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl, most people think he shouldn’t be able to stand, walk and ride a bike.

NFL players and analysts were taking the opportunity to light up Twitter with a bunch of comments concerning Cutler’s actions.

Maurice Jones Drew threw one of the first jabs on his @Jones_Drew32 Twitter account writing:

“Hey I think the urban meyer rule is effect right now… When the going gets tough……..QUIT..”

Then he followed with an uppercut:

“All I’m saying is that he can finish the game on a hurt knee… I played the whole season on one…”

Former Tampa Bay linebacker and analyst Derrick Brooks jumped on the Twitter dogpile with:

“FOX HAVENT SHOWED ANY TRAINERS LOOKING AT CUTLER, UMMM @ DBrooks55

Kirk Morrison outside linebacker for the Jaguars Tweeted:

“If my knee was hurt or acl/mcl/pcl sprain, I would not be standing up on the sideline.”

Then Darnell Docket @ddockett threw the knockout punch:

“If I’m on chicago team jay cutler has to wait till me and the team shower get dressed and leave before he comes in the locker room!”

While the Jets got eliminated by the Steelers yesterday with no controversy coming from the guys in New York, this Cutler issue is sure to gain some attention during this week’s sports talk shows.

In a rival game of that magnitude with the team and fans still in it, if one of the team leaders can ride a bike and walk with a limp he may want to consider becoming a hometown hero and stay in the game. Win or lose that’s how athletes become respected. People couldn’t say enough about Matthew Stafford when he returned to the game against Cleveland two seasons ago and pulled off a miraculous win in front of his hometown Detroit fans with his shoulder hanging to his side. And how many times has ironman Brett Favre limped and staggered off the field playing through adversity and pain through his 297 ironman consecutive game streak.

Performances like those are what make players into champions and after yesterday’s debacle in front of his hometown fans, Cutler appears to be far from that.

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