The [intlink id=”13″ type=”category”]Chicago Bears[/intlink] have given coach Lovie Smith a two-year contract extension.
Smith, who was entering the final year of a four-year contract, made $5.5 million under his old deal, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL. Assuming he didn’t take a pay cut, Smith makes slightly more than Green Bay Packers coach [intlink id=”67″ type=”category”]Mike McCarthy[/intlink], who recently signed an extension paying him an average of $5 million a year.
Terms of Smith’s extension haven’t been released.
In discussing the extension, Smith touched on how the Packers have set the bar in the division, saying “We realize we have the Super Bowl champs in our division, and we’re looking up to them,” he said. “We’re looking forward to this next year of trying to get ourselves in position where we can hold up the Lombardi trophy.”
He mostly harped on one point though — that quarterback [intlink id=”405″ type=”category”]Jay Cutler[/intlink], who sat out the second half of the NFC Championship game with an injury, isn’t a quitter.
“Just to kind of hit Jay one last time, no, there’s no question about Jay’s toughness or anything like that,” Smith said. “For guys to even challenge that or question that don’t know what they’re talking about, don’t know him. He’s as tough as any quarterback in the league.”
He would go on to tell everyone how Cutler is the leader of his team.
“I think the core is in place, starting with Jay Cutler, our quarterback, leading us,” he said. “I wouldn’t ask for any other quarterback. I’m excited about him going into that second year with Mike and seeing those improvements on the offensive side.”
That’s marvelous.
Good luck with that fool leading your team, Lovie.