The life of a Chicago Bears fan is one not many folks are necessarily envious of. Following two mediocre 8-8 seasons, the Windy City faithful were hopeful the team would acquire an elite quarterback this offseason. Conversely, the Bears went a somewhat different route last week by signing QB Andy Dalton to a one-year pact.
Certainly, the acquisition of Dalton is not the flashiest move for the Bears. Dalton is getting no younger at 33 years of age and has not managed to post a winning record since 2015. Those couple facts alone do not paint the prettiest picture by any means.
Nevertheless, one could easily make the argument Dalton is a bit of an upgrade over Mitchell Trubisky, who is now a member of the Buffalo Bills. The same could be said when Dalton is compared to Nick Foles as well.
Over the course of his 10-year career, Dalton has received Pro Bowl nods three times. It is also worth noting that Dalton was instrumental in guiding the Cincinnati Bengals to five straight playoff berths.
On that note, it shows that the veteran can get the job done. While his last five seasons have not been as impressive as his first five, Dalton never won less than 10 games from 2012 to 2015. Simply put, he is capable of stringing together some victories notwithstanding his lack of postseason success.
Although Bears’ fans are not too happy about the Andy Dalton signing, there is another reason why signing him may not be too bad, after all. Per Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire, Dalton may prove to be a solid fit in Matt Nagy’s offense.
“Here is the good news for the Bears: They might finally have a quarterback who can simply run Matt Nagy’s offense appropriately. As we saw from Dalton’s action this past season, his strength right now as a quarterback comes in the realm of getting the ball out on time and in rhythm.”
Assuming Dalton can continue to be an effective decision-maker, it will indeed be “good news” for Chicago. It is reasonable to say this will necessitate having pass protection around him. However, if the Bears can build around Dalton, their offense could be more successful than some may like to believe.
This sheds light on why signing Dalton might be a solid addition for the Bears. Instead of giving an elite QB a lot of money, the NFC North squad can now use their remaining cap space to balance out the offense. Improving areas like their offensive line will give Dalton the tools he needs to flourish.
Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Dalton is already acquainted with a member of Chicago’s staff. Via BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain, Bears’ offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was the Bengals’ quarterback coach and OC from 2016 to 2018.
Lazor brought out the best in Dalton during their respective time together in Cincinnati. In fact, Dalton posted over 4000 yards in 2016, thus making it one of the finest seasons of his NFL career. That being said, given their acquaintanceship and past success, more of the same could occur in Chicago.
One other positive about the Dalton signing is that it is not a long-term commitment. It insinuates that their bigger goal could very well be getting a new quarterback in the upcoming draft. Therefore, it is safe to say Dalton is likely nothing more than a stopgap for the franchise.
The one-year deal is no coincidence, and it is clear the Bears are still searching for their long-term solution. However, granted Dalton is not a star, he is still serviceable at this stage of his career. He could help pave the way for the team’s future QB if they land one in the draft, which is nothing to scoff at.
