Bears' Updated Depth Chart After Reported Andy Dalton Contract

The Chicago Bears appear to have replaced Mitchell Trubisky, but fans may not be happy about it.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the team has agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with Andy Dalton. Dalton threw for 2,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020.

For the time being, the 33-year-old is projected to be the Bears starting quarterback heading into the 2021 season. 

Bears Projected Offensive Depth Chart

• QB: Andy Dalton, Mitchell Trubisky, Nick Foles
• RB: David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, Cordarrelle Patterson, Ryan Nall
• WR: Allen Robinson II, Javon Wims, Dwayne Harris, Jester Weah
• WR: Darnell Mooney, Riley Ridley, Rodney Adams, Reggie Davis
• WR: Anthony Miller, DeAndre Carter, Thomas Ives
• TE: Cole Kmet, Jimmy Graham, Demetrius Harris, J.P. Holtz
• LT: Charles Leno Jr., Jason Spriggs, Lachavious Simmons
• LG: James Daniels, Cody Whitehair, Arlington Hambright, Alex Bars
• C: Sam Mustipher, Cody Whitehair, Alex Bars
• RG: Rashaad Coward, Germain Ifedi, Dieter Eiselen
• RT: Bobby Massie, Germain Ifedi, Rashaad Coward, Lachavious Simmons

Depth chart via ESPN.com

That unit is likely to undergo some changes.

According to Schefter, Chicago has held trade talks centered around Anthony Miller. That suggests the team is looking for reinforcements alongside Allen Robinson II, who received the franchise tag but has yet to sign the one-year tender.

The arrival of Dalton may not preclude the Bears from pursuing another quarterback, either.

Teams generally shouldn't let social media reaction dictate their personnel moves. In this case, the initial reaction to Tuesday's news should concern general manager Ryan Pace:

Dalton epitomizes a quarterback who's good but not good enough. He's a three-time Pro Bowler who's averaging 234.5 yards per game and completing 62.2 percent of his passes. He has also thrown one touchdown to six interceptions in five playoff appearances.

If you're down to your backup—as the Cowboys were following Dak Prescott's injury—then Dalton isn't a bad option to bring off the bench. If you're aiming for a Super Bowl and make him the Week 1 starter, then fans are right to question whether he's best suited for the job.

Schefter reported in February the Bears were on the list of teams to whom Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson would accept a trade. Maybe Chicago can pull off a deal for disgruntled Houston Texans star Deshaun Watson.

In the event Dalton is the extent to which the team addresses the quarterback position, Pace may want to avoid interacting with fans for a while.