The Chicago Bears signed Andy Dalton for a number of reasons. First and foremost is their belief that he is a pretty good quarterback. Nobody is saying he’s a star but the guy has logged a lot of mileage in the NFL and a lot of it was on the positive side. He served as insurance in case their bigger aspirations didn’t pan out. Beyond that, there is a genuine feeling they finally got somebody capable of running Matt Nagy’s style of offense.
It isn’t an easy system. There is a lot of complexity to it, coming from the origins of Bill Walsh’s iconic West Coast scheme. It demands a lot of the quarterback position. Not only to understand what the defense is going to do before the snap but also knowing what the receivers and the offensive line are supposed to do as well. This was a frequent problem that always came up when Mitch Trubisky or Nick Foles were starting. They just didn’t seem equal to what was being asked of them.
Nagy seems to think Dalton is different.
One thing that has stood out about the 34-year old almost immediately is his experience. Most notably the understanding of where and when to throw the football. Timing and anticipation are crucial in a West Coast-style offense. Dalton understands not where the receiver is but where he is going to be. Or rather is supposed to be. That ability to throw guys open appears to have caught a number of receivers by surprise in practices thus far. Something they aren’t used to. Not to mention Dalton’s rather vocal presence.
This sounds like exactly what the Bears were hoping for. Dalton has been around the league for a long time and started a lot of games. He went to three Pro Bowls. He quarterbacks four teams to the playoffs. This is a guy who is comfortable at this stage of his career with what he sees on the field. That experience isn’t just about Xs and Os but also about how to command a huddle and lead the troops. Don’t act like you’re in charge. Be in charge.
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Hit the ground runnin'. 💥 pic.twitter.com/a5K9udMT9Z
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 2, 2021
Andy Dalton doesn’t seem phased by the Justin Fields question
Following his second practice, the veteran was inevitably asked about the situation of the Bears drafting the 11th overall pick. Dalton shrugged it off. He understood from the beginning it was a one-year deal he was signing. There was always going to be a strong chance the Bears drafted a quarterback. So he wasn’t caught by surprise. To him, nothing has changed. That starting job still belongs to him.
Things have played out that way thus far. The Bears have allocated the 1st team practice reps to him. Fields is receiving the 2nd team reps. It will be interesting to see if the rookie can somehow gain any ground in the next couple of months. By the sound of things, Andy Dalton has no plans to let him anywhere near that starting job.
Good on him.
It is nice to see a quarterback with determination and confidence in himself. If he didn’t have either, then his chances of holding off Fields would be shaky at best. While Bears fans may wish to see the rookie play immediately, it sounds like Dalton is living up to what the coaches expected. That of somebody who can help the offense function well until the kid is ready.
