The Bears made Andy Dalton an offer he couldn’t refuse.
In his introductory press conference, the veteran quarterback went over most of the usual things: his work ethic, his personality, having an opportunity again, all the things expected. But before putting pen to paper with Chicago, Dalton said the team promised him one thing: the chance to start over.
“They told me I was the starter,” said Dalton (via ESPN). “It was one of the reasons I wanted to come here. So every conversation I have had has been, so that’s the assurance I got.
Dalton doesn’t really have a ton of competition in the Bears’ QB Hall to solidify that starter status. The current quarterbacks are Dalton and Nick Foles, who was pretty mediocre in 2020.
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Dalton spent the 2020 season with the Cowboys, being put into action as a Dallas starter after Dak Prescott’s ankle injury cost him his season. Dalton played 11 games, starting nine, totaling 2,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions in a very irregular season. He also ran out of time after suffering a concussion.
Dalton’s signing with Dallas was seen as a one-year contract to rebuild his value and get a starting job on the road again. It seems to have worked for him.
The Bears made the Seahawks a sponsor offer for Russell Wilson, but trade talks fell apart, leading to Dalton’s signing.
Obviously, in the NFL things change in the blink of an eye, so Dalton’s position as a starter doesn’t matter as much as what the Bears are doing (or not doing) by. start of the 2021 season.
