When the Chicago Bears signed Mike Glennon to a three-year, $45 million deal in March of 2017, he was given assurances that he would be the starter. It was “his” team. Then a month later GM Ryan Pace pulled off his infamous maneuver to draft Mitch Trubisky. Just like that, a quarterback controversy was created. The Bears stood by their word that Glennon would be the starter. Yet it was obvious fans were already looking beyond him.

That pressure didn’t do him any favors. In four starts, he managed just 833 yards passing, four touchdowns, and five interceptions. A brutal performance on Thursday Night Football against Green Bay sealed his fate. Trubisky came in after just a month on the bench. The rest is history. Now it seems history is repeating itself. Andy Dalton has arrived in Chicago with assurances that he is the starter in 2021.

All while the Bears are swarmed by rumors they covet drafting a QB early.

So here’s an interesting question. What if it happens again? What if the Bears move up to grab somebody just like four years ago? That isn’t likely to deter their original plan of having Dalton as the starter. Yet it does put pressure on the veteran to hold the rookie off and keep the job. Something Glennon failed spectacularly to do. Dalton will face that same exact problem. Is he prepared to deal with it?

His track record says that could be a concern. Looking back over his tenure in Cincinnati, there were two instances where the Bengals drafted a quarterback. Primarily as depth but also a developmental project who might keep Dalton honest. Both times the QB didn’t respond too well. In 2014, A.J. McCarron was taken in the 5th round. That year, Dalton managed less than 3,400 passing yards with 19 TDs and 17 interceptions.

Then five years later it happened again. The Bengals took Ryan Finley in the 4th round. Dalton managed 3,494 yards, 16 TDs, and 14 interceptions. In fairness, he was surrounded by a terrible team but it became evident in both instances that his efficiency seemed to take a noticeable dip when he felt threatened.

Dalton may last longer than Mike Glennon but how much?

The demands he would face in this scenario would be incredible. Playing quarterback in Chicago by itself comes with insane pressure. It’s one of the biggest sports markets in the country, football crazy, and comes with an unforgiving fanbase. One that has been routinely disappointed by the quarterback play for the better part of seven decades. They aren’t going to give him the benefit of the doubt on anything.

Then add the pressure of a possible 1st round pick being slotted behind him? Plenty of those same fans will be eager to see the kid play immediately. It’s inevitable. The moment Dalton makes a mistake, be it a turnover or taking a bad sack, the calls will get louder. Most men would break under that kind of weight. Mike Glennon snapped like a twig in a month. Dalton may last longer but if the Bears start losing early, Nagy would have no choice but to go with the kid in an effort to save his job.

Suffice to say, at least one person won’t want a QB on opening night.

Much of this will depend on how the board plays out. Three quarterbacks will go in the top three picks. If the other two are gone before the end of the top 10? Then Dalton will be able to rest easy. Chicago will likely shift their focus to getting him some offensive help. Be it an offensive tackle or wide receiver. If it does break the way many believe though? Expect consequences.