Julius Peppers Intimidated Jay Cutler Through Teammates During Games

D.J. Moore once told the story of how he pretty much lost his job with the Chicago Bears because he made the mistake of calling out Jay Cutler in front of the media. A mistake he regrets to this day. Julius Peppers was never that foolish, but that didn't mean he was afraid to let his feelings about the quarterback be know. He just found a way to be more subtle. How so? By sending his complaints through a proxy. One he knew wasn't dumb enough to talk back.

That was Earl Bennett. The former Bears wide receiver found himself on the wrong end of Peppers' wrath during a game against the Carolina Panthers in 2012. After an early stop by the defense, Chicago got the ball with a chance to get the lead. Things didn't go as planned. When Bennett made it back to the sideline, he was greeted by a sight that few mortal men would ever welcome.

"On the sideline the defense was angry. Rightfully so. We just turned the ball over and the game had just started. On the sideline Peppers approached me with an angry stare. The kind your dad gives you when you take his car without permission. He walked up to me and said: “What the fuck is wrong with your man?” Heart racing fast, all I could give was a shrug of the shoulder. He proceeded with “Tell him to get fucking right.” I responded again with a head nod. I took a deep breath and began walking towards the offense and I peeked behind me.

He was watching me to make sure I addressed Jay. I did not say anything to Jay in reference of what Julius had told me. I still wanted to catch some balls and make plays."

Julius Peppers likely spared Cutler's life thanks to the finish

Over the course of the game, it's possible Cutler might not have made it out of the building alive. Not only did he throw that interception on the first series, he also fumbled twice, losing both of them to Carolina. Going into the second half it looked like the Panthers were in the midst of a runaway. Luckily Cutler seemed to become aware of his life being in danger because he delivered one of the best second halves of his career.

He went 15-of-19 for 146 yards and a touchdown. He also delivered the decisive final drive which ended in a field goal to secure a 23-22 victory for the Bears. It would seem that was enough to slake the bloodthirst of Peppers. Unfortunately, the victory wasn't enough to save the Bears from their eventual spiral that saw them miss the playoffs. Still, it's nice to know Cutler was able to live long enough to see his children.