I have always been a strong advocate of the idiom “you get what you pay for;” meaning, if you don’t pay much for something, it is probably of bad quality. I tend to spend the extra dollar on items in hope that they will be of higher quality than the less expensive alternative.

So what does $126 million get you?

I’m sure this is a question the Chicago Bears and their fans are asking themselves right about now.

The answer should be an elite quarterback that a team can build a franchise around. However, up to this point, Chicago has received anything but that.

This past offseason, the Bears signed quarterback Jay Cutler to a seven-year contract, worth $126 million. The move was heavily criticized by fans and NFL experts who believed Cutler should not be paid equivalent to the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.

Perhaps the fans and experts were right.

Speaking of Brady, the three-time Super Bowl champion may have put the final nail in the coffin of the Bears’ season this past weekend. Brady and the New England Patriots dominated Chicago in every facet of the game en route to a 51-23 blowout victory. Brady was his usual dazzling self with over 350 yards passing, five touchdowns and a nearly perfect passer rating of 148.4.

That’s what an elite quarterback looks like.

On the other hand, Cutler was his usual disappointing self with another unimpressive performance that included two turnovers. He leads the NFL with 11 giveaways this year.

After Sunday’s outcome, as a Bears fan, I am forced to ask myself: Is the season over? I don’t know the answer to that question but based on what the experts think, I’m not sure I want to hear the answer.

On the bright side, things for Cutler and the Bears can’t get much worse.

Don’t get me wrong, Cutler is not entirely to blame for the Bears’ woes this season. He certainly isn’t getting any help on the defensive side of the ball. That couldn’t have been any more evident Sunday afternoon.

The Bears gave up 38 points in the first half, the most in team history. New England scored on its first five possessions of the game. For an organization that historically has boasted a tough, hard-nosed defense, the Bears looked pretty helpless Sunday.

How pathetic.

As a Bears fan and as a Chicagoan, frustration is at an all-time high. Frustration not because of how bad the Bears are, but because of how good they can be.

The talent is there. With a loaded roster, a 3-5 record is unacceptable. Being 0-3 at home is unacceptable. Losing four of the last five games is unacceptable. Mediocrity is unacceptable.

This inability to win games with so much talent on offense is truly an indictment of Cutler. The quarterback is the most important position in all of sports. Everything starts with him.

I have always been an avid supporter of Cutler, but something has to give. Sooner or later, there need to be results. I can no longer defend his reckless decision-making, his seemingly careless attitude or his innate ability to make the wrong throw at the wrong time.

This isn’t what the Bears paid for. If things continue this way, then I think I speak for Bears fans everywhere when I say I want my money back.

Mubarak is a senior in LAS. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @justmubar.