Report: Bears to add Dalton on 1-year, $10M deal
The Chicago Bears are set to sign quarterback Andy Dalton to a one-year, $10-million contract, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The veteran will have a chance to obtain another $3 million through incentives.
Dalton will join the Bears after spending the 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys. He started 11 games after replacing an injured Dak Prescott and finished his campaign with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Previously, Dalton started 133 games for the Cincinnati Bengals, taking them to the playoffs five times in nine years. Cincinnati moved on from him last year once it selected Joe Burrow first overall in the draft.
The Bears scooped up Dalton after scouring the market for quarterback help. They went back and forth between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles in 2020, and both general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy acknowledged after the season that Chicago needed better quarterback play. Foles remains under contract with the Bears, while Trubisky is a free agent.
Dalton has provided stability in the past, but the 33-year-old has never reached star status. He's thrown 30 touchdowns or more in just one season, and he's 0-4 as a starter in the playoffs. He's also only finished one campaign with a passer rating above 92.
The Bears reached the postseason for the second time in three years last season, but offensive issues capped their upside. Chicago has finished six of the last seven campaigns outside the top 20 in points per game, and the club ranked 21st in yards the one year its offense did put more points on the board.
The Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers also pursued Dalton in free agency, according to NFL Network's Michael Silver.