There are rumblings out of Chicago that this could be quarterback Jay Cutler's last season with the Bears. The Vikings probably wouldn't mind if he left the division.
While Cutler's aggressive — and at-times-seemingly-careless — style of play has cost the Bears games over the years, he has historically fared well against the Vikings, especially at Soldier Field, where the Bears host the Vikings on Monday night.
Cutler, after missing the past five weeks with a thumb injury, will be back to start.
"The thing about Cutler is he can move around in the pocket. He can read the coverages well. He can get the ball down the field. He can make all of the throws," Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards said Friday. "So he's always a tough opponent when we play him, especially [down] there."
In seven career starts vs. the Vikings at Soldier Field, he is 6-1 with 17 touchdown passes against eight interceptions. Cutler has tallied a passer rating of at least 86.5 in every one of those games, including the Vikings' 23-20 win there last season.
Cutler threw for 211 yards and a touchdown in that game and also scrambled for a late touchdown that put the Bears up by seven points. The Vikings, though, scored 10 points in the final two minutes to snap a seven-game losing streak there.
Cutler's return to the lineup could ignite Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who ranks 13th in the NFL in receiving yards but has yet to score a touchdown in 2016.
"He's definitely a point of attention for us this week," Edwards said of Jeffery, who will likely be shadowed by top Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes.