Former Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler arrested in Tennessee

It's been a tough week for Jay Cutler. The former Denver Broncos The first-round pick was reportedly arrested in Tennessee on Thursday night.

ESPNCourtney Cronin reported the details.

“Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler was arrested Thursday night in Tennessee after a traffic accident and faces four charges, a spokesman for the Franklin Police Department said ESPN.

“Cutler, 41, was charged with driving under the influence, possession of a handgun under the influence, failure to exercise due care to avoid a collision and implied consent,” Cronin wrote.

After responding to a report of a rear-end collision, police reportedly found two firearms in Cutler's vehicle and he “smelled strongly of alcohol.” One weapon was loaded per person ESPN. Cutler also reportedly refused a field sobriety test.

Police arrested Cutler at the Williamson County Jail around 7 p.m. and posted him on $5,000 bond. He was out there and released at 10 p.m

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It's an unfortunate stain on Cutler's post-NFL resume. The Vanderbilt product played three years in Denver after then-head coach Mike Shanahan made him the No. 11 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Cutler replaced Jake Plummer as the Broncos' starting quarterback about halfway through his rookie season. Plummer was benched by Shanahan even though the Broncos had a commanding AFC West lead, and the team ultimately blew that with a rookie quarterback and missed the playoffs.

It was the first of three straight playoff-free seasons for Shanahan, and after the 2008 season, the late Pat Bowlen fired his head coach. Josh McDaniels was hired as Shanahan's successor, and the young, up-and-coming coach immediately traded Cutler to the team Chicago Bearswhere he would spend the majority of his career.

Cutler earned a Pro Bowl nomination in 12 NFL seasons and 2008 was his final year in Denver. Despite being considered one of the 100 greatest Bears of all time, he was never able to fully realize his immense potential following his breakup with Shanahan.

Cutler played one final NFL season for the in 2017 Miami Dolphins before hanging up his football boots. But I don't feel bad for him. From 2008 to 2017, he earned over $127 million playing for three NFL clubs.

Still, Broncos fans will always wonder what could have happened if Cutler had found a way to win the 2008 season finale against San Francisco and the team made the playoffs. Shanahan wouldn't have been fired and Cutler's prospects after that impressive Pro Bowl campaign would have been a mile high.

We'll never know.

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