Ex-Cowboys QB Andy Dalton, Bears Reportedly Agree to 1-Year, $10M Contract

Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton reportedly signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Chicago Bears on Tuesday that could reach $13 million if he hits all his incentives, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Dalton was signed by the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2020 season after nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals to serve as Dak Prescott's backup. But when the starter was lost for the season with a compound fracture and right ankle dislocation in Week 5, he was thrust into the starting job. 

The 33-year-old was solid, finishing with 2,170 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 64.9 percent of his passes. The Cowboys went 4-5 in his nine starts but missed the postseason after a disappointing 6-10 season.  

At this juncture, the three-time Pro Bowler is best cast as a backup quarterback, but he showed in 2020 that he's one of the best backup options in football. 

But it's possible that Dalton was brought aboard to be Chicago's starter, given the uncertain future of Mitchell Trubisky. If nothing else, he'll have a clearer path toward snaps than he would have had behind Prescott in Dallas.  

As a one-year stopgap, there are worse options than Dalton. But signing him shouldn't stop the Bears from looking for a long-term upgrade in free agency or the draft.