The Bears are signing Andy Dalton, but the 33-year-old redhead won’t be the only quarterback they add as they work to contend against the Packers and the rest of the NFL.
Dalton, a three-time Pro Bowl player with Cincinnati, started nine games with the Cowboys last season, stepping in for the injured Dak Prescott. He will join Nick Foles as the second quarterback with the Bears, according to multiple reports.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the Bears are giving Dalton a one-year, $10-million deal with incentives that could be worth an additional $3 million.
The signing quickly followed reports that Jameis Winston is returning to the Saints while Ryan Fitzpatrick is joining the Washington Football Team. It assures General Manager Ryan Pace of not being shut out on the quarterback carousel but won’t slow down his efforts to trade for a veteran like Russell Wilson or move up in the draft to a potential franchise quarterback.
Five quarterbacks are expected to be taken before the Bears’ first-round pick, the 20th overall. While Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields are candidates to start almost immediately, North Dakota State’s Trey Lance and Alabama’s Mac Jones could benefit from lowered expectations.
The Dalton signing seems sensible if the Bears can move up in the draft to add Lance or Jones. But it’s still possible Pace will try to deliver another veteran to head coach Matt Nagy, as he did with the trade for Foles last year.
Foles or Dalton likely would be included in a trade if the Bears can put together a package big enough to add Deshaun Watson or Wilson, as well as any of the other quarterbacks on an unusually fluid trade market. That list includes the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa, the Jets’ Sam Darnold, the Falcons’ Matt Ryan and the Raiders’ Derek Carr.
The Dalton signing is surprising given the Bears’ standing of being only $89,842 below the salary cap as recently as Monday, per spotrac.com. Historically teams have found ways to maneuver around cap concerns, and it appears the Bears have found creative ways to add reinforcements.
The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs reported Tuesday that multiple sources say the Bears are in pursuit of left tackle Trent Williams, possibly the top prize on the free agent market.
Dalton has started 142 games in his 10-year career but went 0-4 in the postseason with Cincinnati, most recently getting his team into the playoffs in 2014. He threw 14 touchdown passes and eight interceptions with Dallas last season, with his totals impacted by a weak offensive line. He was sacked 24 times and pressured constantly.
He’s not Wilson, Watson or even Ryan but he’s a bird in the hand for Pace. That must bring some sense of mild relief as he continues tries to try to dig out from under the decisions to draft Trubisky ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Watson, as well as sending a fourth-round draft pick to Jacksonville for Foles. But the major work remains.
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March 17, 2021 at 06:26AM
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Chicago Bears Won’t Stop Working To Add Quarterback After Signing Andy Dalton - Forbes
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