Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler attempted to leave the scene of a car crash in Tennessee after the driver he rear-ended turned down his $2,000 bribe, according to police documents.
Cutler was charged with DUI, possession of a handgun under the influence, failure to exercise due care to avoid a collision and implied consent following the fender bender in Franklin Township on Thursday. He was booked into the Williamson County Jail and released on $5,000 bond later that same night.
According to an arrest report obtained by WGN, Cutler drove his white Ram into another vehicle around 5 p.m., near the 200 block of Bridge Street. In wake of the crash, he allegedly offered the other driver a couple thousand dollars not to call the police, but the unidentified motorist refused and law enforcement arrived on the scene shortly thereafter.
Police immediately noticed that Cutler’s eyes were bloodshot and that he “slurred and mumbled” his words, with authorities describing him as “thick-tongued” in their report.
The former footballer, who lives in Franklin, also had an “overwhelming odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his person,” police said.
When asked if he had anything to drink, Cutler initially said he did not but then amended his statement, telling police he had a “little bit” of alcohol before getting behind the wheel, per police documents. He then allegedly refused to take a field sobriety test, prompting his arrest.
First responders transported Cutler to a local hospital “where a blood sample was obtained through a blood search warrant,” police said. The results of that blood test are still pending.
A subsequent search of Cutler’s car turned up a rifle in the backseat and a loaded Glock handgun in the center console, according to the police report.
His court date has been set for January 2025.
Cutler, who was previously married to reality star Kristin Cavallari, was drafted to the NFL in 2006 and played 12 seasons in the league with the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos before retiring in 2017. He went on to take a broadcasting job with Fox Sports, and also hosted the “Uncut With Jay Cutler” podcast.
In 2013, Cutler married Cavallari, with whom he shares three children: sons Camden, 11, Jaxon, 9, and daughter Saylor, 8. They finalized their divorce in 2020, citing “irreconcilable differences” and “inappropriate marital conduct.”