Ex-Bears QB Jay Cutler Sentenced to 4 Days in Jail for 2024 DUI

On August 28, 2025, former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler was sentenced to 4 days in jail after pleading guilty to a DUI charge stemming from an incident in Tennessee last October. The 42-year-old Cutler, who spent the majority of his career with the Chicago Bears, was arrested in 2024 after rear-ending another driver in his Dodge Ram truck.

According to police reports, officers at the scene noted a strong smell of alcohol, slurred speech, and bloodshot eyes from Cutler. He declined to take field sobriety tests but was transported to a hospital where a blood sample was collected under a warrant. A search of his vehicle also revealed two firearms, including a loaded pistol, though the weapons charge was later dismissed as part of the plea deal.

Cutler's fall from NFL stardom to facing jail time underscores the sharp turn his life has taken since retiring from professional football in 2017. Once the face of the Bears franchise, Cutler set numerous franchise passing records during his 8-year tenure in Chicago, including over 23,000 yards and 154 touchdowns. However, his off-field challenges have now overshadowed his on-field legacy.

The 4-day jail sentence, along with the $350 fine, license surrender, DUI safety class, and 1 year of unsupervised probation, closes the chapter on Cutler's 2024 Tennessee arrest. But the former quarterback's reputation continues to face a harsher trial in the court of public opinion.