Ex-NFL quarterback Jay Cutler will be doing time in prison after pleading guilty in a Tennessee court this week.
The now-retired gridiron hero, 41, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the charge of driving under the influence after his arrest in October 2024 in Franklin, a city south of Nashville.
WSMV reports that Cutler pleaded guilty to a single count of driving under the influence. Prosecutors dismissed several others, including possession of a handgun while intoxicated, in return. Under the deal, however, Cutler is required to forfeit the gun that was found in his truck at the time of arrest.
As part of the plea bargain, Cutler will serve four days in jail next month and pay a fine of $350. He will also receive one year of unsupervised probation, take a DUI safety course, and will not be allowed to drive during that time, as his license was revoked.
The arrest came after an October incident in which Cutler reportedly rear-ended a car with his truck. Police reports said he seemed intoxicated, had a slurred speech, and would not submit to field sobriety tests. Officers later got a warrant for a blood test at a nearby hospital.
Adding to the charges, police reported that Cutler tried to pay the other driver $2,000 in cash in an effort to not have to involve police. During a search of his car, officials claimed that they found a rifle and a loaded pistol hidden in the middle console.
Cutler had several charges against him when he first began, such as DUI, failure to use reasonable care, implied consent, and possessing weapons under the influence. The plea bargain eliminated all but the DUI charge.
Cutler’s case has made the news not only for the extent of the charges brought against him, but also because he is a high-profile figure. The veteran quarterback played 12 years in the NFL following being drafted 11th overall by the Denver Broncos in 2006. He played most of his career with the Chicago Bears, where he was the team’s starter for a period of eight years, before his last season was with the Miami Dolphins. Cutler retired in 2018 with more than 35,000 passing yards and 227 touchdowns on his record.
Despite his on-field experience garnering him the reputation of a strong-armed starter, this current bout of legal problems has once again placed him in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. His guilty plea now confirmed, Cutler will take his brief jail stint and continue onward under the terms of probation as part of the court’s decision.
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