Jay Cutler is no stranger to controversy since leaving the NFL.
The former Chicago Bears QB was accused of operating while intoxicated (OWI) and weapons charges after a traffic crash in 2024.
He retired from professional football after the 2017 season and subsequently went through a divorce from television star Kristin Cavallari.
Now Cutler is embroiled in a different kind of controversy, and it's over a sable antelope.
It all started when Cutler posted three photos on July 13 showing him posing with a large dead sable antelope. "Kicked off the Africa hunt with a beauty. Sable down," he wrote with the caption.
That didn't sit well with people who flooded his Instagram thread with angry comments.
"What a beautiful creature. Who could even think of taking its life..... Evil would," wrote one woman.
"Pretty sad that you are proud to have taken down this beautiful animal. Paying big bucks to have someone find you a large beautiful animal that you can shoot at close range is not hunting," wrote another.
"Disgusted by this!" wrote another person.
However, Cutler responded by posting another photo showing him with the animal and a picture showing him carrying a different dead creature. He also posted a video of the landscape.
"Another great day," he wrote.
However, other people came to Cutler's defense on the thread. "If you (have) ever eaten meat or worn leather give it a rest," wrote one.
According to the New York Post, Cutler was on a hunting trip to South Africa when he posted the photos.
The Post added that the 43-year-old retired quarterback "has spent much of his free time hunting" since leaving the NFL.
Cutler also posted photos showing him with the dead animals on his Instagram story.
"Why?" wrote another person on his page, declaring, "Incredibly sad and heartless."
"The sable is a rotund, barrel-chested antelope with a short neck, long face, and dark mane," the African Wildlife Foundation explains. "This antelope has the tendency to settle near water, in areas with good drainage and good grazing, putting them in direct conflict with humans who also value this type of land for agriculture and livestock."