CINCINNATI, OHIO – DECEMBER 15: Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals throws a pass during the first half against the New England Patriots in the game at Paul Brown Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears could have used Andy Dalton, but losing the quarterback to the Dallas Cowboys had to be a deep sting for this team.
There is no denying that the Cincinnati Bengals wanted to do right by Andy Dalton knowing he was on the way out. However, that only reinforced the bad luck that has suddenly been bestowed on the Chicago Bears.
In a report from The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., the Bears were in the running to acquire Dalton before he signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Frankly, the nine-year veteran would have been a better fit in Chicago than Dallas.
Yet Jerry Jones swooped in and signed Dalton, while the Bears are now stuck with a declining Nick Foles and a Mitchell Trubisky, the latter of which got the cruel fate that he was no longer the team’s quarterback of the future.
The Bears need to shore up their quarterback position, and Dalton could have been the answer to some of those ills. While he wouldn’t have bee a long-term fix, Dalton could have bridged the next year or two while allowing general manager Ryan Pace more flexibility in his cap sheet. With Foles, the Bears are essentially locked into a contract or dead cap money through 2022.
Dalton is a better quarterback than Foles, something clearly shown through the last decade. Foles had one terrific month. Dalton has had nine solid campaigns. It’s not a rational debate to claim the other side.
However, what’s done is done. Chicago is firmly rolling the dice with Foles and Trubisky.