The ex-NFL star made the revelation on his "Uncut with Jay Cutler" podcast this week ... saying straight-up that "meeting people is hard."

The 38-year-old was comparing dating to his former Chicago Bears team finding a new quarterback ... when he broke off on a tangent about how searching for love again has not been easy.

"I think finding out what people really, really want from you, I think that's probably an issue," Cutler said when he was asked why it's been tough.

"I'm at a different phase of my life now with kids and priorities are just changed," Jay added.

"Like, it isn't just a purely selfish play by my part. Like, there's a lot of other aspects that have to be taken into consideration whenever you get back out into that world."

Cutler said dealing with apps and social media platforms to court women has also been a big change.

"Like, it's a whole different ball game," he said. "You're not just walking into a restaurant or bar and talking to somebody. That doesn't exist anymore."

Cutler and Cavallari officially called it quits back in April 2020 ... and Jay has been spotted with a few women over the past year, most notably in January with a mystery blonde in Mexico.

Jay, though, made it clear he hasn't found anything too worthwhile ... saying he's not even sure what he wants in his next flame.

"I, honestly, I don't know that," Cutler said. "I wish I knew -- I think I'm trying to figure that out throughout this process, but I will [figure it out]. It's not a rush for me at this point."