And count a surprised, angered quarterback in Jay Cutler among them.

"I'm disappointed, I'm shocked, I'm not happy about it, I'm not pleased with it at all," Cutler said by phone Tuesday. "We had zero inkling this was going to happen. I didn't have a clue."

Cutler said he met with Shanahan for about 30 minutes Monday before leaving town to discuss offseason plans as well as the direction the offense would take in the 2009 season.

This year, Cutler was selected for his first Pro Bowl after he set single-season franchise records in passing yards (4,526), total offense (4,726 yards), attempts (616) and completions (384) to go with 25 touchdowns, which tied him for the third-highest single-season total in Broncos history.

Cutler compiled those totals despite the team's injury woes at running back. The Broncos placed seven running backs on injured reserve this season, five of whom had started at least one game.

It resulted in the lowest rushing total - 1,862 yards - in Shanahan's 14-year tenure as the team's coach. The previous low had been 1,864 yards in 1999, when the Broncos finished 6-10.

"I think, with the offensive staff we had, we were moving ahead," Cutler said. "I had just met with Mike to go over everything, talk about the things we wanted to do, make sure we were going the right way on offense."

Cutler was particularly interested to hear what the fate of current quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates would be. Bates just finished his first year as the team's play-caller on game day.

Bates also recently turned down an offer from Lane Kiffin to be the offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee after Shanahan had extended Bates' contract for two more seasons, through 2011.

"And he had an option to go to Tennessee, and maybe that's still on the table for him," Cutler said. "But to lose all of our offensive coaches, too, that would be a big thing. Guys like Jeremy (Bates), (receivers coach Jedd) Fisch, that would be a step back for us, in my mind."

Already Tuesday, rumors were running rampant through the league the Broncos were going to seek a replacement with a background in offense to continue grooming Cutler.

The quarterback was the team's top draft pick in 2006, and Shanahan said last week he believed Cutler's season had been "incredible" and that the 25-year-old had the makeup "to win big games and be the kind of guy people in Denver are going to be happy to have for a long, long time."

"I hope it all works out," Cutler said. "But I know I'm disappointed, I'm not happy, and it's a lot to think about. I just want to continue the things we were able to do this year on offense and get better all the time."