Bears QB Jay Cutler feeling some guilt, welcomes prospect of change

If anyone should feel angst over Monday's firing of coach Lovie Smith, it's Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler.

After all, Cutler and coaching staff changes haven't gone together well in the past. It was Denver's coaching change to Josh McDaniels that led to Cutler's trade to Chicago.

And the first name surfacing in the new Bears coaching search is Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who was on McDaniels' Broncos staff and was there when current Bears QB coach Jeremy Bates was let go. Cutler's anger over Denver's interest in QB Matt Cassel and the release of Bates led to his trade to the Bears.

Regardless of who the Bears bring in as head coach, it's going to mean a fourth offensive system for Cutler in his five years with the team.

"We’re going to have to make do with it," Cutler said Monday at Halas Hall. "I think we have a lot of good pieces offensively, personnel-wise, and hope we get a good coordinator and play caller to make it work."

Cutler wasn't exactly throwing anyone on the current coaching staff under a bus, but did point out it's better to accept the inevitable.

"Change isn’t always a bad thing," he said. "Sometime it can be good. The prospect of it at the time was unfavorable.

"I mean, no one really wants to change or think about changing, but now that’s it’s upon us, we have to be positive about it. It is what it is and we have to keep moving forward. Whoever we get we have to make the most of it."

Assistant coaches were still under contract as of Monday. When the Broncos let Bates go, Cutler wasn't happy about it. Asked if he thought Bates would be retained by a new Bears staff, Cutler said, "I don’t know. I have no idea. I would say 'No,' but that’s a guess."

Cutler himself is under contract through 2013, and a new staff may decide his strong arm and inconsistent decision making are not what they need in their attack. Regardless, Cutler for now has complete confidence Bears GM Phil Emery will produce a coach who can move the offense in a positive direction.

"He’s very detailed, he has a plan in mind," Cutler said. "He wouldn’t make these decisions and actions if he didn’t have a real plan and direction of where he wants this team to go."

Cutler has said he wants a contract extension and would even be willing to give the Bears a "hometown discount." With a new staff, that could all be a moot point.

"You know, we have a lot of guys in the next couple years that will be looking for new contracts," Cutler said. "We'll see how it plays out. First and foremost, their concern's going to be finding coaches and we'll address it from there."

Cutler has an 81.9 passer rating, 59.6 completion percentage and 82 TD passes to 63 INTs with the Bears. They're not championship numbers, but not dismal statistics either. After the offense finished 28th despite bringing in his personal target, Brandon Marshall, Cutler wished they could have done more to save Smith's job and possibly other offensive coaches.

"I take a lot of pride in the way I play and offensively we didn’t show up in the last four years for him and a lot of that blame’s going to be on me," Cutler said. "As soon as I heard he was fired, there was instant regret in what we could have done and what we should have done."

Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSBears.