Jay Cutler is back.

After losing his starting job when he sprained a ligament in his throwing thumb, he regained that job only when Brian Hoyer broke his forearm. If Hoyer hadn't suffered that injury a week ago, it's unclear if Cutler ever would've started a game for the Bears again.

So, now it's Cutler who's in line to start against the Vikings on Monday night. He has been medically cleared to play and Bears coach John Fox tried his best downplay his comments during the past month, when he hinted -- multiple times -- that Hoyer had done enough to hang onto Cutler's job.

On Tuesday, Cutler met with reporters for the first time since Week 2. During his press conference, he was asked about Fox's confidence in him as the team's starter. He had the perfect response.

"He doesn't have a choice, I guess, at this point," Cutler said, via the Chicago Tribune. "Brian is out, so I've got to go."

He then went on to say he has had "good conversations with Foxy this week, last week, the week before. There's never been any strain in our relationship. We're both very open and honest, and we're on the same page. We just want to win football games."

So, their relationship appears to be just fine. Not great, considering Fox didn't guarantee Cutler would regain his job while he recovered from his injury. But not bad considering Cutler and Fox are maintaining a decent public image.

They both want to win football games, but that'll be tough to do on Monday night, when Cutler will get welcomed back by the Vikings' top-ranked defense.

But the significance of Cutler's return goes beyond Monday night's game. Cutler could very well be on his last days as the Bears' quarterback, which means his next nine games (assuming he stays healthy) are the most important nine games of his career. They're an audition -- for both the Bears' front office, which could always opt to keep him, and the rest of the league. And if Cutler manages to win enough games, he could push the Bears out of an early draft slot, which could prevent them from drafting his successor.

So yeah, there's a lot on the line for him. Still, Cutler didn't seem concerned about his future with the club, though he seemed aware that the end could be coming.

"Whatever happens at the end of the year, it's supposed to happen, and we'll go accordingly," he said. "But right now it's not something that I worry about. At the end of the year, we can have those conversations."

And so, Cutler's last stand begins. Of note: He's survived these sort of conditions before.

He began his last stand with a joke.

There's hope after all.