Is Jay Cutler elite? In a nutshell: No.

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Let me be clear for you Bears fans: Jay Cutler is a good quarterback. This isn't to He's not an elite quarterback - elite QB's in the league include Peyton Manning and Tom Brady., to name a couple And while I do think Cutler is a good quarterback, he's not at that level. Why do I think that? In part because of his TD-INT ratio - he's got 169 TD's to 119 interceptions in his career. If you want to be consider an elite quarterback, that 2nd number should be a lot lower, compared to the number of touchdowns a quarterback throws. Jay Cutler doesn't take care of the ball like a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning, and that's part of why I don't consider him elite.

The other main reason is playoff success, or lack thereof in Cutler's case. He's only got one playoff win and a 39.1 quarterback rating (QBR) in 2 total games, both of which came in 2010 with the Bears. Playoff wins aren't everything - Eli Manning has won 2 Super Bowls, but no one is necessarily talking about him as an elite quarterback. BUT if I was given a choice of any quarterback in the league to build a team around, I'd want someone I could count on in big moments (i.e the playoffs), like a Tom Brady, and Jay Cutler just isn't at that level.

Sorry, Bears fans - Cutler is a good quarterback, but I can't in good conscience lump him in with the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.