The Andy Dalton era was short-lived. And it wasn’t all that successful. Unless, of course, you consider exposing the flawed plans of Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace which ultimately proved to be the last gasp of their tenures in Chicago as a success story (which, on second thought …).
Nonetheless, Dalton – despite the on-field shortcomings in 2021 – appears to have found a new home with the New Orleans Saints. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has the deets:
Saints are signing former Bears’ QB Andy Dalton to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, including $3 million guaranteed, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 29, 2022
Hey, now! That’s a real deal with some substantive cash. It might even be enough to help the Bears in the compensatory draft pick formula. Admittedly, the climb to get a 2023 compensatory pick isn’t an easy one. Especially with the number of roster spots the Bears figure to fill with free agents of their own. But every bit counts.
Dalton completed just 63 percent of his passes, threw more interceptions (9) than touchdowns (8), and threw for just 1,515 yards in his lone season with the Bears. But he should probably best remembered for this:
Andy Dalton Rooting On Justin Fields is Everythinghttps://t.co/ecrvMwj4r5
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) September 22, 2021
And with that, we officially move into the post-Dalton era. One where QB1 isn’t designated by a tweet from the team’s official account on the bird app.
Oh, also: I kinda called this. Just sayin’.
Andy Dalton and Nick Foles Would Make a Ton of Sense for the Saints … Just Sayin’https://t.co/TVlALP0p7W pic.twitter.com/mtFS1QPPVb
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 1, 2021