The Chicago Bears might be in the market for quarterback help in 2020. There is just one problem. They don’t have a ton of money to spend nor any 1st round pick in the draft. So somehow they have to find somebody who can at least compete with Mitch Trubisky for the starting job without forcing the team to break the bank to get him. There are plenty of names out there expected to be in the conversation. One who doesn’t get a ton of air time is Andy Dalton.
The 32-year old hasn’t had the most memorable season of his career. Perhaps because the Cincinnati Bengals are an awful team. Despite that, the former three-time Pro Bowler has remained productive to an extent. In just 12 games he’s thrown for 3,300 yards with 15 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. This despite being sacked 36 times and being aided by one of the worst running games in the NFL. There is a belief that while he’s not a guy who will carry a team far, he is still a quarterback who can win games if put in the right situation.
That might be why Chris Roling, a Bengals insider for USA Today and Bleacher Report tagged the Bears that the likeliest destination for him in the event he’s traded at some point this spring.
“As mentioned, the Bengals have plenty of reasons to sell. The franchise is starting over at quarterback, and Dalton himself wanted a trade, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, after he was benched for Ryan Finley.
Dalton was later reinserted in the starting lineup and has struggled in tough circumstances but has one year left on his deal. The Bengals would benefit from offloading his $17.7 million salary for 2020, and the Bears would get a capable passer in ideal circumstances.”
Andy Dalton is the ideal competition for Trubisky
In many ways, this move makes the most sense for the Bears. Dalton isn’t too old to be shrugged off as a has-been. His contract, while somewhat expensive, is far more affordable than many of the other options on the table will be like Teddy Bridgewater or Nick Foles. He also won’t cost too much to acquire. Everybody knows the Bengals are going to draft a quarterback 1st overall. Most likely Heisman winner Joe Burrow. It likely wouldn’t take more than a 4th round pick to get Dalton at this point.
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He makes the perfect foil to Trubisky too. What he lacks in overall talent and athleticism he makes up for in experience, veteran savvy, and field vision. He actually had some of his best performances in 2019 against some strong opponents like Seattle and San Francisco. Nobody remembers though because the Bengals suck. Put him in that quarterback room with a strong defense to lean on and a go-to receiver in Allen Robinson like he had with A.J. Green? It could work. At least for one year.
