Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler caused an explosion of outrage from many NFL players and fans after his abrupt exit in the third quarter of last week’s game against Green Bay from a supposed knee injury, though at the time, nothing was confirmed. Reports later showed that Cutler indeed had an MCL sprain, preventing him from properly placing weight on his right foot and affecting his throwing motion. Pro Bowl players like Darnell Dockett and Maurice Jones-Drew, along with future hall-of-famer Deion Sanders, prematurely accused Cutler of being a quitter and weak.

Cutler’s teammates obviously supported him and his injury. Longtime Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said, “He is one of the toughest guys on our team.” This is absolutely true. Playing behind what is perhaps the weakest offensive line in the NFL, Cutler was the most-sacked quarterback this season with 57. As a football player, Cutler has missed just one start in 118 games, which extends back into his college years. While at Vanderbilt, he was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. So if a guy like this leaves a conference championship game, you can be sure it’s serious.

However, one thing the general public and other athletes just don’t seem to appreciate is that Cutler is a Type I diabetic. Considering this, it is truly amazing that Cutler can even play professional football at a Pro Bowl level. The disease gradually weakens the body and requires frequent insulin injections, which Cutler often must administer in the middle of games! Constantly having to monitor his food, weight, blood count and body sugar day-in and day-out is an extra encumbrance other NFL players don’t have to deal with.

Players don’t understand and appreciate that an athlete like Cutler has to work significantly harder than his peers due to his disease. The immature bashing that resulted in his early exit only made the accusers look moronic. Common sense would dictate that any NFL player playing in a Conference Championship game would do anything to stay in and win it. Just because Cutler’s attitude and demeanor isn’t as emotionally discernable as Tim Tebow’s (Denver) or Phillip Rivers’ (San Diego) doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care as much.

At the end of the day, fans who complain that a team didn’t go “all out” should remember that franchises need to protect their investments too. As a quarterback, Cutler is the Bears’ best prospect; they will be able to embellish and capitalize on his talent for the next six years or so. Making absolutely sure he is healthy for the future should be a priority because, without Cutler, there is no way they’d even get to a Conference Title game. Playing on a weak MCL, even for just five minutes, could permanently ruin a career. The Bears and Cutler made the right decision that Sunday; it’s just a shame that no one else can see and appreciate it.