A quarterback who polarized fans and sports commentators over the course of his NFL career has made a sudden move to the broadcast booth.

“On Thursday there were reports Jay Cutler was interested in a broadcasting career, and less than 24 hours later he was hired by Fox Sports,” The Sporting News reports.

Cutler released a statement to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington explaining the move — you can read the full statement below.

In the statement, Cutler says: “I don’t know if retirement is the right word; I don’t feel that anyone ever really retires from the NFL. You are either forced to leave, or you lose the desire to do what’s required to keep going. I’m in between those situations at this point in my life.”

The Sporting News notes that Cutler, 34, was released by the Chicago Bears during the offseason and didn’t get much interest from other teams.

“Multiple reports claimed the quarterback was really considering retirement unless he received an ideal scenario, or in other words, a guaranteed starting job,” the story reports. “There may have been interest in Cutler as a veteran backup, but he wasn’t interested in that.”

Cutler played for the Bears from 2009-2016 after a stint with the Denver Broncos. He became a polarizing figure and a frequent subject of debate on the sports talk shows, with some fans and analysts saying he consistently underperformed.

“Cutler follows in the footsteps of Tony Romo, who recently replaced Phil Simms at CBS,” The Sporting News notes. “Interestingly enough, Cutler will also be replacing a former football player in the booth as he takes John Lynch’s old role.”

Below is Cutler’s statement to Darlington, which Darlington posted on Twitter …