Jay Cutler was sacked 322 times during his 12-year career in the NFL, and that doesn’t include all the hits that didn’t result in sacks.
Now, three years after hanging up his cleats, Cutler has thought about the possibility of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition believed to be caused by head trauma.
“I would say definitely my memory isn’t the same as it was five years ago,” Cutler said in a recent interview with GQ‘s Clay Skipper. “The amount of concussions I’ve had are probably in the double digits. It’s gonna catch up to me at some point. I’m just trying to delay it as much as possible.”
Cutler has modified his diet in an effort to delay cognitive issues, and he’s hoping to live at least 42 more years (he’s 38 now).
“I’ve damaged enough things and brain parts and heart and everything in my life, if I make it to 80, or anything after that, I’ll be happy,” Cutler told GQ.
Cuter spent the first three years of his career with the Denver Broncos, completing 62.5% of his passes for 9,024 yards and 54 touchdowns in 37 games. He went on to spend eight years with the Chicago Bears and one year with the Miami Dolphins before retiring following the 2017 season.
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