New Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton isn’t just coming to the team to compete for a starting job. It sounds like he plans to be under center in Week 1.
That’s at least what Dalton said during his introductory press conference on Thursday afternoon at Halas Hall. The quarterback says he’s been given assurances by the Bears that they plan to use him as the starter when they open the 2021 season.
“They told me I was the starter,” he said. “That was one of the reasons I wanted to come here. Every conversation I’ve had has been there. That’s the assurance that I’ve gotten.”
Currently Dalton is one of two quarterbacks on the roster, with Nick Foles still in the mix as free agency gets underway. Mitchell Trubisky, the starter for the Bears for most of the last four seasons, is now with the Buffalo Bills after signing a free agent contract on Thursday.
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Dalton says he’s excited to get started with the Bears after signing his one-year pact.
“To get a chance to come in and start for a team like this is a great opportunity for me and for the future of my career,” he said.
During his press conference, Dalton says that the chance to join a competitive team was important to him, and that he was looking forward to getting started.
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“At this point in my career, I wanted to join a team that’s competitive, that is doing things the right way, a team that’s trending in the right direction,” he said.
Dalton joined the Dallas Cowboys last season after playing for nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. In 11 games, Dalton threw for 2,170 yards and 14 touchdowns, with a completion percentage of 64.9%.
He had a 4-5 record in his nine starts with the Cowboys.
