Might as well go ahead and update that resume, b/c I'm sure there's someone out there whom your boss would hire to take your place if that someone became available. We're all replacable - it's silly to think otherwise. Perhaps McDaniel could have done a bit more butt kissing to make Jay feel all warm and fuzzy, but instead he talked to him like a man and was honest with him. Jay's inability to handle it and childish behavior is his problem, not McDaniels.
I don't think it's very silly to believe that my supervisor wouldn't go interviewing for my replacement unless they were unhappy with my performance. It's ridiculous to think that it wouldn't be a signal that they didn't appreciate the skills I brought to the table. And while I have no doubts that I am replacable, I can guarantee you that my company isn't looking to replace me. They just booked 10K in training for me. If my boss were interviewing people with my skillset, it would obviously be a signal otherwise. If he truly appreciated Cutler, he would be looking for ways to get more out of him. Not considering replacements.
We're talking about new management coming in here. Not your supervisor who just booked 10k in training for you.
And I would update my resume if my current boss were to leave, no doubt about that. I wouldn't go looking to run out the door, but I'd be prepared for everything. And if he started interviewing people with my skillset and giving obvious signals that he was considering shaking things up in my area, I'd be looking to find the first ticket out of there. I've received one poor review in my lifetime, unfairly poor. I quit the next month. Cutler knows that his skills are valuable - he has a contract he's going to want to renegotiate sometime soon. I don't see why he owes any loyalty to a team that doesn't appreciate what he brings to the table. He's a guy looking to make a living, with an ego and pride, just like the rest of us.
You'd be "looking to find the first ticket out of there," or you'd stop taking your boss's phone calls and put your house up for sale?
"He has a contract he's going to want to renegotiate..." Oh, well hey, if he's going to want to re-neg on the agreement he made, then I guess that excuses everything.
"I don't see why he owes any loyalty to a team that doesn't appreciate what he brings to the table." How about the fact that he signed a contract? Is that a good enough reason?
"He's a guy looking to make a living... just like the rest of us." Except that he's already made enough money to last the rest of his life, so it's not really about "making a living" anymore, and he signed an agreement that said he would play for this team for X number of years for X number of dollars. The "rest of us" probably never made this type of commitment to our employers.