Denver Broncos fans are used to seeing greatness at quarterback. And while it may not be possible to erase memories of No. 7 too easily, they now have a No. 6 to watch who has the chance to do some memorable things of his own.
Jay Cutler was not a familiar name to any but the most hardcore football enthusiasts for most of his college career. That happens when you play at Vanderbilt, where he was the starting quarterback for 45 straight games from 2002-2005. But Cutler opened some eyes as a senior, leading the Commodores to a near-upset of Florida and a season-ending win at Tennessee and winning over scouts with his strong arm and heady play.
Though the Denver Broncos weren't desperate for a quarterback heading into the 2006 NFL Draft, they didn't feel they had anyone capable of living up to the legacy of John Elway, and they selected Cutler with the 11th overall pick. He didn't wait long to take the reins, as he took over as the starter in late November of his rookie season. The Broncos didn't make the playoffs that year or the next, but Cutler showed enough flashes of brilliance to make him a trendy pick to become one of the NFL's next big stars.
The start of the 2008 season made some of those predictions look even better. With Cutler throwing six touchdowns, the Broncos opened with consecutive division wins against Oakland and San Diego, the latter featuring a fourth-down TD pass with 24 seconds left and a two-point conversion pass to secure a 39-38 victory on the road.
Cutler began his NFL career as a solid third in collector interest behind draft classmates Vince Young and Matt Leinart, but he's had more early success than either of them and his cards may begin to reflect that fact before long. He didn't sign as many autographed rookie cards as other 2006 first-round picks, ensuring cards like his Exquisite Collection # 134 (numbered to only 20) command higher than normal prices.
2006 Jay Cutler Rookie Cards
- Absolute Memorabilia # 214 - #'d to 999
- Bowman # 114
- Bowman Chrome # 222
- Bowman Sterling # BS-JC
- Donruss Classics # 112 - #'d to 599
- Donruss Elite # 162 - #'d to 599
- Donruss Gridiron Gear # 157 - #'d to 599
- Donruss Threads # 257 - autographed, #'d to 120
- Exquisite Collection # 134 - autographed jersey card #'d to 20
- Finest # 154 - autographed, #'d to 199
- Flair Showcase # 229 - #'d to 199
- Hot Prospects # 193 - autographed, #'d to 175
- Leaf Certified Materials # 200 - #'d to 500
- Leaf Limited # 258 - autographed, #'d to 100
- Leaf Rookies and Stars # 201 - #'d to 599
- Playoff Contenders # 152 - autographed with announced print run of 501
- Playoff National Treasures # 104 - autographed jersey card #'d to 99
- Playoff NFL Playoffs # 74
- Playoff Prestige # 198
- Score # 350
- Select # 350 - #'d to 599
- SP Authentic # 226 - autographed, #'d to 99
- SPx # 159 - #'d to 1299
- Sweet Spot # 201 - autographed, #'d to 299
- Topps # 365
- Topps Chrome # 229
- Topps Draft Picks and Prospects # 173 - autographed, #'d to 199
- Topps Heritage # 125 - SP
- Topps Total # 464
- Topps Triple Threads # 108 - autographed jersey card #'d to 99
- Topps Turkey Red # 190 - SP
- Ultimate Collection # 203 - autographed, #'d to 99
- Ultra # 206 - #'d to 500
- Upper Deck # 210
- Upper Deck Legends # 146 - #'d to 750
- Upper Deck Rookie Debut # 229 - autographed with announced print run of 50