What happened to Jay Cutler? Former NFL QB expects to win battle against fatal brain disease soon

Jay Cutler may not have left much of an impression in Denver, Chicago or Miami, but the league is certainly taking notice of the retired quarterback now. Cutler started for the Denver Broncos. Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins from 2006 until 2017.

Cutler failed to win a championship in his career, and had little success in the long term. His time in the league, though, left him with more than just the scars of battle.

Four years after calling time on his NFL career, Jay Cutler is preparing for battle all over again.

According to NBC Chicago, Jay Cutler suffered 15 concussions after 12 season in the NFL. On Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast, Cutler said that he feels healthy at the moment but his memory has taken some beating after playing in the NFL.

Jay Cutler says he expects to face CTE in the future. "That CTE, it's coming at some point," Cutler said on the pod.

What is CTE?

CTE stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It is the result of suffering repeated head trauma. When football players take hits, they are at risk of getting concussions, which occur when the brain bounces off the back part of the skull after contact.

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When a player takes a hit and the body comes to rest, the inertia makes the brain hit the skull, causing a concussion. While one concussion is likely to have minimal long-term impact, repeated concussions can create a host of problems.

Repeated concussions can damage the brain and have a lasting impact, causing serious problems. According to bu.edu, "The symptoms of CTE include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, anxiety, suicidality, parkinsonism, and, eventually, progressive dementia."

Why Jay Cutler is not alone

Those who suffer from multiple concussions with side effects are the ones most likely to suffer from CTE. However, players can also suffer minor concussions without side effects.

While these may be smaller in magnitude, minor concussions can be extremely dangerous if left untreated.

Jay Cutler

The longer one plays a sport as contact-heavy as football, the more likely they are to suffer from CTE. In fact, a 2017 Boston University study of 111 NFL players found CTE in 99 percent of those players. While the league has made minor strides in addressing the issue of concussions, the numbers from the study make for grim reading.