Dolphins QB Jay Cutler worries some Chargers -- but not Melvin Ingram

COSTA MESA >> Retire for three months, and some people lose all respect for you.

That’s essentially the treatment Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler got from Melvin Ingram, whom he will face this Sunday at StubHub Center. Asked on Thursday afternoon what problems Cutler might present this weekend, the Chargers defensive end didn’t miss a beat.

“None,” Ingram said.

Never mind the fact that, when Ingram and the Chargers last saw Cutler on the field in 2015, the quarterback carved up the defense for 345 yards and two touchdowns in a 22-19 comeback victory for the Bears. He is 34 years old, nine months removed from shoulder surgery, and hasn’t won a game since last Halloween — but there are far worse quarterbacks on the Chargers’ schedule this year.

To be clear, Ingram seems to hold a minority opinion at the Chargers’ practice facility — where players and coaches alike have lauded Cutler’s abilities in advance of their home opener against the Dolphins on Sunday (1:05 p.m., CBS). Among those is cornerback Casey Hayward, who began his career in Green Bay and faced Cutler six times in four seasons. Asked if he had a favorite outing against the Bears during that stretch, Hayward wouldn’t bite.

“I’ll talk about it after the game,” he said. “I don’t wanna give too much ammo out right now.”

But, Hayward added, there were plenty of times during his Packers stint that Cutler “ripped us.”

“I’m telling guys, ‘Hey, the man is pretty good,’” he said. “So, we’ve got to come in there prepared. He’s got some weapons. I think he might have more weapons now that he’s in Miami than he did with the Bears. It’ll be very interesting to see him and see how they gel together.”

Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn pointed out Cutler’s “escapability,” which he’d noticed when the quarterback began his career in Denver. Cutler ran for 405 yards and three touchdowns in his final two years, earning his lone Pro Bowl nod before the Broncos traded him to Chicago in 2009.

“He made a lot of plays off schedule,” Lynn said. “To me, that’s when he’s most dangerous. Those are the plays you can’t prepare for. He’s kind of a wild card.”

“He can get hot,” added defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. “That’s the biggest thing. If he feels comfortable and can get into rhythm, he can make throws like anybody and make a lot of big plays.”

If anyone can maximize Cutler’s abilities, it’s Adam Gase. Miami’s second-year head coach was Chicago’s offensive coordinator in 2015, when Cutler recorded a career-high 92.3 passer rating. It was this familiarity that prompted Gase to lure Cutler out of retirement last month, after the Dolphins lost starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to a torn ACL.

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Chargers left guard Matt Slauson — who played in front of Cutler from 2013-15 — had a front-row seat to that dynamic in Chicago. The veteran lineman praised Cutler as “a very talented quarterback, a very smart quarterback,” one who had often been unfairly maligned by the media. What Gase did most to help Cutler, he said, was to lift the supporting cast.

“Jay is Jay,” Slauson said. “I mean, Jay is a very incredible player. And I think it was the effect that Gase had on the rest of the offense, holding us accountable as an entire offense, that really made the rest of the team step up.”

Extra points

The Chargers will present former running back LaDainian Tomlinson with his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring at halftime of Sunday’s home opener. ... Cornerback Jason Verrett, who tore his ACL last October, was added to the injury report with a knee issue. He played 63 of 69 defensive snaps in Monday’s loss to the Broncos, but did not participate in Thursday’s practice. ... The Chargers added defensive end Isaac Rochell to their practice squad. They had waived the seventh-round pick on Wednesday to make room on the 53-man roster for defensive end Tenny Palepoi, who had just completed his four-game suspension for last season’s PED violation.