Andy Dalton, Saints Reportedly Agree to 1-Year Contract After Jameis Winston Deal

The New Orleans Saints have agreed to a one-year contract with veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The deal is worth up to $6 million with $3 million guaranteed.

New Orleans signed Jameis Winston to a two-year, $28 million deal last week, presumably making him the starting quarterback for 2022. Winston is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered Oct. 31, however, so the backup role is important.

Saints coach Dennis Allen said Tuesday that Taysom Hill will be primarily used at tight end next season rather than as a quarterback option.

It left just Ian Book and Blake Bortles on the depth chart behind Winston, who has made only seven starts in the last two seasons.

Dalton will add experience at the position with his 148 starts over 11 years.

The 34-year-old made eight appearances (six starts) for the Chicago Bears last season, finishing with 1,515 passing yards and eight touchdowns against nine interceptions. A year earlier, he had 14 touchdown passes and 2,170 yards with eight interceptions in 11 appearances for the Dallas Cowboys.

The veteran is best known for his time with the Cincinnati Bengals, having earned three Pro Bowl selections while leading the team to the playoffs five straight times from 2011 to 2015.

Though his struggles in 2021 likely prevented him from getting a starting job, Dalton will help the Saints stabilize a position with a lot of unknowns.