Dan Pompei

So now what, Denver Broncos?

You clearly would have preferred Matt Cassel to Jay Cutler.

Cutler clearly would have preferred a new address, his old coach and, to borrow from another famous man who made his name in Tennessee, a little less conversation.

Cutler did not want even to discuss his future with the Broncos at one point, but he apparently has relented. There will be a meeting. Whether there will be a meeting of the minds is another matter.

If you are the Denver Broncos, you would be crazy to think about trading Cutler, one of the most gifted young passers in the game. It was one thing to trade Cutler if you knew you could get Cassel. Cassel might not be as talented as Cutler, but Cassel at least knew new coach Josh McDaniels’ offense, and he proved he can win with 11 victories in his only season as a starter.

There aren’t enough players like Cutler in the NFL. So you don’t trade a premium quarterback unless you know you are getting a like replacement. And now the Broncos probably will not find that match.

Perhaps they could get a high draft pick and start over with Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez. But with the way first-round quarterbacks are hit or miss, that would be living very dangerously.

They know Cutler can win in the NFL. No one can say the same with certainty about any rookie.

But if you are Cutler, you now know there is something about you that your new bosses are not crazy about. It probably has nothing to do with what you have done on Sundays. But you feel unappreciated and unwanted.

Players who feel that way often are not 100 percent committed to their teams.  If your quarterback, your leader and probably the best player on your team is not completely committed to a new program, that is a big problem that could affect much more than one player.

So Cutler might still have some control over his future. If he is adamant enough about not wanting to be in Denver, he might force a trade. It might not happen soon, because the Broncos might want to wait to see if his raw nerves will calm.

But eventually, if Cutler continues to complain and refuses to play ball with the team’s new management, he could get his way. The Broncos might realize they are better off with a lesser quarterback than with a quarterback who could be a subversive force.

Cutler’s loyalties were to Mike Shanahan, who drafted him, and Jeremy Bates, who coached him and developed a bond with him. What McDaniels has to hope is that he can develop trust with Cutler over time.

That might mean being willing to live with some bumps in the short term. Because McDaniels will have to go to battle with Cutler and show him he has his back in order to develop trust. It might take a whole season for Cutler to feel completely comfortable with his new coach.

Eventually, McDaniels and Cutler can get over this, if they both want to badly enough.

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A little distrust isn’t unusual anyway. There have been scores of examples over time of head coaches and quarterbacks who weren’t exactly drinking buddies. In fact, there is at least a “healthy tension,” between almost every head coach and his quarterback. It’s a normal part of the relationship.

There is one way to make this ugly episode go away completely and quickly if the Broncos so desire.

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Cutler has three years remaining on his contract.

Don’t tell him you love him. Show him.