Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler has been sentenced to jail time stemming from charges that date back to a 2024 arrest in Franklin, Tenn.
Cutler, 42, was sentenced on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and will begin his short sentence on Sept. 29, according to a report from WSMV, the NBC affiliate in Nashville, Tenn. While Cutler is originally from Indiana, his Tennessee roots stem from a four-year college career at Vanderbilt.
Here is everything to know about Cutler's arrest and what is next for the retired 12-year NFL veteran.
Why is Jay Cutler going to jail?
Cutler is going to jail as part of a plea deal in a DUI case from October 2024. He will serve a four-day sentence at the Williamson County Jail, beginning on Sept. 29.
On Oct. 17, 2024, Cutler was arrested in Franklin, Tenn., after he rear-ended a blue GMC with his white Dodge Ram truck. According to an arrest report, Cutler was visibly intoxicated. He is believed to have offered the driver of the blue GMC $2,000 not to call the police.
Upon searching Cutler's vehicle, police found a rifle and a loaded Glock pistol in his truck console.
Cutler was charged with driving under the influence, possessing a gun while intoxicated, failure to exercise due care, and implied consent.
In addition to the four-day sentence, Cutler's plea deal requires him to pay a $350 fine and attend a DUI safety class. He will be on unsupervised probation for one year, has had his Tennessee driver's license revoked, and "forfeited" his Glock pistol.
Jay Cutler NFL career
The Broncos selected Cutler with the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He spent the first three seasons of his career with Denver before moving on to Chicago, where he was the Bears' starter for the better part of eight seasons.
Cutler had three standout seasons — he was named to the Pro Bowl in 2008 and led Chicago to a 10-5 record in both 2010 and 2012, Cutler posted a 1-1 record in the 2010 playoffs, but Chicago failed to qualify for the postseason 2012.
Cutler's final NFL season came in 2017, as he led the Dolphins to a 6-8 record over 14 games as a starter.
| Season | Team | Games | Comp/Att (%) | Pass yards | Pass TD | Int |
| 2006 | Broncos | 5 | 81/137 (59.1%) | 1,001 | 9 | 5 |
| 2007 | Broncos | 16 | 297/467 (63.6%) | 3,497 | 20 | 14 |
| 2008 | Broncos | 16 | 384/616 (62.3%) | 4,526 | 25 | 18 |
| 2009 | Bears | 16 | 336/555 (60.5%) | 3,666 | 27 | 26 |
| 2010 | Bears | 15 | 261/432 (60.4%) | 3,274 | 23 | 16 |
| 2011 | Bears | 10 | 182/314 (58.0%) | 2,319 | 13 | 7 |
| 2012 | Bears | 15 | 255/434 (58.8%) | 3,033 | 19 | 14 |
| 2013 | Bears | 11 | 224/355 (63.1%) | 2,621 | 19 | 12 |
| 2014 | Bears | 15 | 370/561 (66.0%) | 3,812 | 28 | 18 |
| 2015 | Bears | 15 | 311/483 (64.4%) | 3,659 | 21 | 11 |
| 2016 | Bears | 5 | 81/137 (59.1%) | 1,059 | 4 | 2 |
| 2017 | Dolphins | 14 | 266/429 (62.0%) | 2,666 | 19 | 14 |