Why Did Jay Cutler Get a Jail Sentence? The Details From His DUI Plea Deal

Jay Cutler is making headlines again, but not for anything that happened on the football field. The former NFL quarterback walked out of a Tennessee courtroom with a short jail sentence, a suspended driver’s license, and plenty of people talking about how it all went down.

The case dates back to October 2024, when Jay was arrested in Franklin, Tenn. Nearly a year later, on Aug. 26, 2025, Jay went to court to face his charges. What happened with Jay Cutler's jail sentence? Keep reading for all the details.

According to court documents obtained by WSMV, Jay rear-ended another driver on Bridge Street. Police said he showed signs of intoxication, including slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. Officers also reported the smell of alcohol and noted that he refused to take sobriety tests. Things got stranger when investigators said he offered the other driver $2,000 to forget the crash and not report it. The arrest made headlines for another reason, too.

When police pulled Jay over, they discovered two guns in his truck, which led to an additional weapons charge stacked on top of the DUI. That discovery fueled months of speculation over whether he might face a harsher legal battle than the normal DUI process.

WGN reported prosecutors agreed to dismiss the charge after he forfeited one of the guns, sparing him from what could have been a drawn-out case. That victory did not erase the DUI, though. His conviction means that for at least the near future, his Tennessee driver’s license is revoked. For a man used to calling his own plays on the field, being sidelined from even getting behind the wheel is a consequence that hits closer to home.

Jay’s plea deal agreement included four days in jail, a $350 fine, DUI education, a year of probation, random drug tests, and the loss of his Tennessee driver’s license. It may not derail his life, and he will likely be able to put it all behind him, but it is the kind of punishment that makes headlines. For years, he was the face of the Chicago Bears and kept a clean image. Fans aren't used to seeing his name tied to mugshots and courtroom appearances.

Jay has found a way to stay in the headlines, from his often scrutinized NFL career to his later turn as a reality television personality alongside his then-wife, Kristin Cavallari. Even in retirement, his name carries enough recognition to guarantee attention whenever it resurfaces.

This time, though, it wasn’t touchdowns, sideline smirks, or reality TV drama pulling him back into the spotlight. It was a Tennessee courtroom and a jail sentence. Four days behind bars might seem like little more than a blip on paper, but when attached to a name as familiar as Jay's, it becomes front-page material. It proves that even without throwing another pass, he still has the ability to dominate the news cycle, just in a way no one expected.