Jay Cutler has gone from throwing touchdowns – and quite a few interceptions – to being thrown behind bars.
The retired NFL quarterback and ex-husband of reality TV star Kristin Cavallari reported to jail in Franklin, Tenn., on Monday morning to begin serving his four-day sentence after pleading guilty to one count of misdemeanour DUI.
Cutler, who played for the Broncos, Bears and Dolphins during his 12-year NFL career, had cut a deal with prosecutors to bring an end to his DUI case, which led to the dismissal of a weapons charge the ex-QB had been facing.
The 42-year-old former Pro Bowler also was ordered to pay a US$350 fine and serve a year of supervised probation, while his driver’s licence also has been suspended for a year.
The incident occurred in October 2024 in Franklin. Police said Cutler showed signs of being intoxicated after being involved in an accident in which the QB had rear-ended another vehicle.
Cops said he was slurring his words and refused to take field sobriety tests at the scene, but later had a blood sample taken at a local hospital. In his vehicle, police said they found two firearms, one of which was loaded.
Cutler originally had been charged with DUI, failure to exercise due care to avoid a collision, implied consent, and possession of a handgun while under the influence — the other charges were dropped as part of his plea deal.
The retired ‘gunslinger’ quarterback is a known hunting enthusiast. Earlier this year, he sparked outrage after sharing pictures of himself while on a big-game hunting trip to South Africa.
The photo posted on Instagram showed him kneeling next to a Sable antelope he killed during the trip.
“Kicked off the Africa hunt with a beauty,” he captioned his post. “Sable down.”
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Cutler had a record as a starter of 74-79 and threw for more than 35,000 yards in his career while also racking up 227 touchdown passes and 160 interceptions. He reached the Pro Bowl once in 2008.
In 2020, Cutler went through a public divorce with Cavallari after 10 years together. They share three children, sons Camden, 13, and Jaxon, 11, and daughter Saylor. 10.