Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler, 42, is spending four days behind bars in Franklin, Tennessee, after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor DUI charge stemming from an October 2024 traffic accident.
The one-time Pro Bowler, who played for the Broncos, Bears, and Dolphins before retiring in 2018, reported to Williamson County Jail Monday morning. His jail time is part of a plea deal struck with prosecutors, which also resulted in the dismissal of a weapons charge after police found firearms in his vehicle.
Cutler’s arrest last fall came after he rear-ended another car and, according to officers, showed signs of intoxication. Police say he refused field sobriety tests at the scene but later submitted to a blood test at a local hospital. Authorities reported discovering two guns in his car, one of them loaded, which added to the charges he initially faced.
Prosecutors originally hit the father of three with DUI, reckless driving, violating implied consent laws, and unlawful possession of a firearm while intoxicated. The plea deal whittled the case down to the single DUI count.
In addition to jail time, Cutler will pay a $350 fine, serve one year of unsupervised probation, complete a DUI safety course, and have his driver’s license suspended for 12 months.
The former NFL star’s personal life has also kept him in headlines. Cutler was married to reality TV personality Kristin Cavallari from 2013 to 2020, and the two have continued to clash publicly since their divorce. The couple shares three children—Camden, 13, Jaxon, 11, and Saylor, 9—but their messy split has fueled tabloid drama.
Just last month, Cutler pushed back against Cavallari’s claim that she “never got a penny” in the divorce, calling the accusation “reckless” and “completely false.” Speaking on his *Take It Outside* podcast, he said, “It’s insanity and it’s completely untrue. I hate that I even have to address it, honestly.”
Cutler reminded listeners that during his 12-year NFL career, he earned roughly $128 million and that divorce proceedings are handled with court oversight. “I’ve got a divorce decree. It’s 67 pages. It says the number breakdown. There’s not a judge in the state of Tennessee that would let me walk away with every single dollar.”
While Cutler’s football career ended without a Super Bowl ring, he left the league with more than 35,000 passing yards and 227 touchdowns. His most productive stretch came during his eight seasons with the Chicago Bears, where he became known for his toughness and big arm—even if his sometimes icy demeanor divided fans.
Now, Cutler is facing a very different chapter of his life. His brief jail stint may be behind him soon, but his conviction will linger, along with the suspension of his license and the public scrutiny that seems to follow him wherever he goes.
For a man who spent years under the lights of the NFL and the cameras of reality TV, Jay Cutler now finds himself in the all-too-familiar position of trying to fight back against both personal mistakes and public perception.
