Yahoo Finance Andy Dalton said the Bears told him he will be their starting quarterback next season
Andy Dalton doesn’t have to worry about any sort of competition with Nick Foles in Chicago.
The starting job, apparently, has already been promised to him.
Dalton said Thursday that the Bears assured him that he was their starting quarterback this season when they agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal earlier this week.
“They told me I was the starter. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to come here,” he said, via ESPN. “So every conversation I’ve had has been that, so that’s the assurance that I’ve gotten.”
Dalton, 33, racked up 2,170 yards and threw 14 touchdowns last season with the Dallas Cowboys — where he filled in for an injured Dak Prescott for most of the year.His stint in Texas marked his first away from the Cincinnati Bengals, who took him in the second round of the 2011 draft.
The Bears moved on from former second overall draft pick Mitchell Trubisky, who spent three seasons with the team though was benched in Week 3. He signed a deal with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.
The team brought in Nick Foles, though Foles struggled until he was hurt in Week 10 — at which point Trubisky had to return.
So with Dalton now clearly their best option, it seems Foles will back him up next fall.
What about the Russell Wilson chatter?
Many Bears fans had their sights set on Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who had listed Chicago as one of a few possible landing spots should he leave Seattle.
Though that didn’t plan out, Dalton is fully aware of those who wanted Wilson — or any number of other available quarterbacks — instead of him.
Dalton, however, isn’t going to let that bother him.
"Obviously I know there's been a lot of talk, but I'm coming in from the outside," Dalton said, via ESPN. "A lot of people don't know a ton about me and are gonna get to learn a lot about me while I'm here. That's all I'm worried about and so, I'm here now.
"Hopefully everybody gets a chance to see who I am as a player, as a person, see what we're gonna be able to do with this organization. I'm excited about the opportunity. Obviously there's been a lot of talk, but I'm not worried about any of that."
And, as long as it works out, Dalton sounds committed to the city long-term.
“I’d love for this to be the last place that I play,” Dalton said, via the Chicago Tribune. “I’d love to finish my career here and get established. For me, this is the second half of my career. I want to play really good football. I want to help this team win a lot of games. I want to bring some excitement to this city.”
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