Jay Cutler signed to be Miami Dolphins' starting QB in 2017 NFL season

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins signed quarterback Jay Cutler to a reported one-year, $10 million contract, with incentives, Sunday, and now the focus shifts to how quickly he's officially installed as the starter.

"He didn't come out of retirement to stand on the sideline," head coach Adam Gase said Monday, a few hours before Cutler had his introductory press conference.

Cutler, 34, was talked out of retirement by Gase, who served as Cutler's offensive coordinator in 2015 in Chicago. Cutler has familiarity with Gase's offense and had 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a career-best 92.3 passer rating in his only season under Gase.

"A situation like this doesn't come along very often," said Cutler, who retired in May. "I know Adam very well. I've known him since '06, the first year I came out. I know the system.

"You're talking about a playoff team with a lot of really, really good football players, a lot of potential. There weren't a lot of opportunities or jobs out there. If they would have came up I would have taken, but this has got to be at the top of the list."

Curiously, Ryan Tannehill and Cutler had fairly comparable numbers in their only seasons under Gase.

Tannehill had 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a career-best 93.5 passer rating in his only season under Gase.

Cutler said his right (throwing) shoulder, which was surgically-repaired in December because of a labrum injury, is OK.

"It's good," he said. "By March I was cleared on that one."

Although Cutler has been portrayed in some circles as abrasive and/or aloof, that didn't deter Gase, who said contrary to reports, Cutler didn't demand a starting job.

"He didn't demand anything," Gase said. "In my conversation with him, he didn't demand anything. I know this, the comments about him in the media, it's not like he's talking to anybody, I know that, because that's not who he is.

"If he has got something to say, he'll talk to me. I know we had a good conversation and I know where everything stands with that. Now that this is over, now we can move on to the next step and get more information."

Regardless, most assume Cutler will be the opening-day starter on Sept. 10 when Miami hosts Tampa Bay.

Meanwhile, Tannehill, sidelined with a left knee injury, has had a hard time accepting his injury. Tannehill and the Dolphins still haven't decided on a course of treatment among surgery, rehabilitation or something else. But Tannehill is still a bit dejected, according to Gase.

"It has been a tough few days for him," Gase said of Tannehill. "We were talking about the other day all these stages you go through and we both keep saying we're going out of order from denial to angry and then all of a sudden we're depressed and go back to denial. It's tough. We worked really hard to get to this point and to get it taken away like that, I think it was very frustrated for him. We put this thing together all spring thinking this is the crew we were going to roll with. One cut and all of a sudden all that's gone."

Matt Moore, who would have been the starter if the Dolphins hadn't signed Cutler, stayed professional, just as he's done throughout his seven years with the Dolphins.

"This is a team sport," Moore began, "and you guys know this, I've been with this organization for a long time and have been a team guy and I'm, like I said, (focused on) training camp. My focus is getting better and working with the guys that are here."