When the Chicago Bears signed quarterback Andy Dalton back in March, the expectation was that Dalton would lead like a veteran while upgrading the quarterback position. Through three weeks of training camp, Dalton’s leadership has been on display, holding players accountable while creating relationships that will define the 2021 season.
One such relationship involves Dalton and star wide receiver, Allen Robinson. Through three weeks of training camp, the QB-WR duo has gelled quicker than most expected, a relationship visible throughout practices.
“For me, I’ve obviously watched Allen throughout his career and to see what he’s been able to do and now actually getting to firsthand, see how he works, how he operates, to talk through how he likes to run routes, when he’s expecting the ball to come out on certain timings on these routes, I mean it’s been great, just the communication we’ve been able to have, I mean that’s what we’ve got to have this time of year,” Dalton said via the Bears official YouTube Channel.
Past experience will also play a big role throughout the season when discussing Dalton and Robinson, giving the Bears a veteran QB-WR duo that the franchise hasn’t seen since Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall headlined the offense nearly a decade ago.
“It’s so nice for both of us, we’ve played a lot of football, so we can talk through different looks and I think we both understand what we’re expecting to see,” Dalton said.
For an offense that’s starting from scratch in year four, the Bears know how valuable Dalton and Robinson’s connection could be when it comes to laying the foundation for the offense moving forward. A roster that features a perfect blend of younger players and veterans, what Robinson and Dalton do throughout training camp could be a defining relationship for Chicago.
Chicago Bears starting quarterback Andy Dalton took a direct approach when speaking about what the Bears’ offense could accomplish throughout the 2021 season. Dalton, who spent last season with the Dallas Cowboys after spending nine seasons as the starting quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals has continued to command respect throughout the offseason in Chicago.
Despite Bears’ fans’ desire to see rookie Justin Fields start, something cannot be denied when analyzing Dalton: Experience. Dalton has started 142 games since 2011 and has been to three Pro Bowls. Despite never having won a playoff game, the 11-year veteran has seen enough football to know what the Bears offense is capable of.
“I feel like with this offense and the players that we have, I think we can be pretty versatile,” Dalton said via the Bears official YouTube Channel. “We can run the ball, tight formations, we can spread you out and throw the ball. So I that’s the different things. We don’t want to have one identity of this is exactly what we are, we want to be able to be multiple and do different things.”
Chicago does have versatility at its disposal. Between running back David Montgomery, wide receivers Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney, tight ends Cole Kmet and Jimmy Graham, along with speedsters such as Tarik Cohen, Marquise Goodwin, and Damiere Byrd, Chicago can play multiple styles of offense.
The key aspect to keep in mind is whether or not Dalton will be able to ensure that the Bears offense executes at a high level, rather than resembling the 2020 Bears offense, which seemed to limp to the finish line at times.
“The best thing you can do is play,” Dalton said. “That’s the best experience you can get. You’re seeing new looks each week, you’re learning different defenses, learning different schemes, learning all the different pressures teams are going to be throwing at you. You’re going to know the offense. You’d better know the offense.”
As Dalton continues to help build the Bears offense, it’s clear that he’s got high expectations for an offense that underwent a major overhaul throughout the offseason, setting up for what should be an intriguing unit heading into 2021.
When the Chicago Bears officially report to training camp, all eyes will be on the quarterback position which features veteran Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields. Dalton, who enters his 11th season in the NFL has been labeled at the week one starter for the Bears, a decision that many view as being made too soon.
Rather than let a quarterback competition decide the starter, all questions have now shifted as to whether or not Dalton can really hold off Fields. For Bears fans, it’s simple: Forget about Dalton and just start Fields immediately. Why waste any time getting a glimpse of what the future of the franchise can do?
The reality is that both Dalton and Fields possess unique advantages. Dalton has been a regular NFL starter since 2011, has experience with offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, and understands the speed of the NFL game. Fields on the other has tons of time on his side and has a dual-threat skillset that Dalton lacks.
Throughout OTA’s and minicamp, Dalton has used his experience as a means of being vocal, especially for the Bears offense, whose oldest players include Dalton, tight end Jimmy Graham, and wide receiver Allen Robinson.
“It comes with experience and how things should look,” Dalton said this offseason via the Bears official YouTube Channel. “So, I think, playing the position of quarterback, you’re obviously going to have a voice but then you throw the experience in and how long I’ve been doing this into the mix and you’re in that leadership position and you want to make sure things are going the right way. I’m trying to do everything I can to make us the best team we will be come the Fall.”
Those outside Halas Hall simply see a bridge quarterback in Dalton, however, Dalton has clearly commanded the Bears offense this offseason as a means of continuing to hold of Fields until the Bears coaching staff is ready to play the 11th overall pick.
The Chicago Bears will start training camp at Halas Hall in just over two weeks, with significant turnover at the quarterback position. The Bears moved on from Mitchell Trubisky this offseason, replacing the former second overall pick with veteran Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields. Set to return is also veteran Nick Foles, who started seven games for the Bears in 2020, winning just two games.
As Chicago continues to get ready for the 2021 season, what are three questions at the quarterback position? Let’s find out.
1) How long will Dalton hold off Fields?
The million-dollar question that has every Bears fan buzzing: When will Fields start? Bears head coach Matt Nagy has consistently said this offseason that a plan exists to develop Fields. Part of that plan is hoping Dalton plays well enough to hold off Fields, giving the Bears a stable bridge quarterback.
Chicago has a brutal schedule in 2021 but expect Fields to play at some point. Those in favor of starting the rookie quarterback hope that Fields is starting in Chicago’s week four contest at home against the Detroit Lions. Others prefer to let Fields sit the entire year, similar to how Patrick Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith for 15 games in Kansas City during the 2017 season.
Dalton will need to start off fast week one against the Los Angeles Rams and begin to stack consecutive wins against teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Las Vegas Raiders to remain starter. That means winning at least four of Chicago’s first five games to have a chance at starting between weeks six and nine.
2) Will the Bill Lazor offense have an impact on Fields’ development?
When the Bears handed playcalling duties to Bill Lazor late in 2020, immediate life was sparked in Chicago’s offense. Heading into 2021, we know that Nagy will call plays but we don’t know what scheme the Bears will run. Should Chicago decide to run the play-action offense it ran with Lazor calling plays, the Bears will significantly slow down the game for Fields, allowing the 11th overall pick to play faster.
Fields has shown he’s a dual-threat quarterback who can hit any throw on the field or hurt a defense with his mobility. Expect the Bears offense to develop a pass-first identity with Fields first read being a deep throw down the field. A play-action offense would open more opportunities for Fields in the middle of the defense, creating additional opportunities for Chicago’s wide receivers.
3) Is Nick Foles more valuable than we all think?
It is a fair question to ask, especially since Foles won just two games in seven starts last season but has been labeled as an incredibly smart player who knows Chicago’s coaching staff and offense. Foles won’t receive any meaningful playing time in 2021 but he can serve as a mentor for Fields to speed up the 11th overall picks development.
Foles’ magical Super Bowl run should also serve as a reminder that any NFL quarterback can get hot at any time, especially in big moments. Fields has had his fair share of big moments at Ohio State but Foles’ presence will instill confidence in a young quarterback who’s willing to do anything needed to succeed, especially since Foles will serve as a sounding board in 2021.
Questions about what the Chicago Bears quarterback position will continue to revolve around who the starter will be. Between Justin Fields and Andy Dalton, who should start and when have been key points that head coach Matt Nagy has answered throughout the duration of rookie minicamp, OTA’s, and mandatory minicamp.
Nagy has also stressed that Chicago has a plan for Fields development, doubling down on Dalton being the starter. Chicago’s plan is simple: Ride it out with Dalton as long as possible, giving Fields a chance to watch from the sideline on Sunday before handing the keys to the franchise off to the 11th overall pick.
“As we all know, promises can get pretty crazy,” Nagy said via the Bears official YouTube channel. “But what we told Andy is that he’s our starter and he knows that. That’s what Justin knows, that’s what Nick knows. We tell these guys knowing that there’s gotta be a start. This plan that we keep talking about and it takes a little bit of time. When you’re in Andy’s role, when you’re in Justin’s role, when you’re in Nick’s role, they know their roles and now it’s their job to be able to be the best quarterback they can be.”
There does need to be a starting point for any plan in the NFL. Chicago’s plan is unique because many believe that Fields has the athletic and mental makeup to be a day one starter in the NFL.
“We all get excited about Justin Fields. We’d all be lying if we said something different but that said, we’re excited about Andy Dalton too,” Nagy said. “And we know that if we stick to this plan we have, that everything’s going to be just fine. Because let’s face it. When you go through OTA’s, when you go through training camp, you go through preseason, the only goal we have is to put the best quarterback out there.”
“Andy Dalton is our starter, Justin’s our number two, and Nick’s our number three, and we’re going to play that out and make sure they’re competing.”
Fields opening week one as the Bears starter seems to be a last resort for the Bears in mid-June but unless something drastically changes during training camp, Nagy and the Bears are hoping that Dalton is good enough to keep the Bears afloat until it’s time for Fields.
If there’s one phrase to describe the NFL, it’s copycat. One successful method ends up being used by other NFL franchises in hopes of emulating any sort of success. Such is the case for the Chicago Bears this offseason after overhauling the quarterback room with the additions of Andy Dalton and Justin Fields.
Head coach Matt Nagy, who was with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017, will be responsible for overseeing the development of Fields. Nagy did the exact same five years ago with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes, leading to speculation that Chicago could implement the same method for Fields development in 2021.
Before we get into actually examining if the Bears will be successful with the Mahomes model, there are few points to note. First, Mahomes started the final game of his rookie season, sitting on the bench for 15 games. Smith had 26 touchdowns to just five interceptions that year. Second, the Chiefs 2017 roster was more stable compared to the Bears. There may have been holes but the Chiefs boasted the sixth-best scoring offense and the 15th best defense that year.
The hope for Chicago is that Dalton plays well enough as a rookie quarterback to hold off Fields long enough. With a 17 game schedule coming up, Dalton has a tough task ahead, especially since any sort of slip up could entice Nagy to immediately play Fields.
“At that point in time, in 17, Alex was, there was a lot of reps he was getting,” Nagy said via the Bears official Youtube channel. “So a lot of times right now for these players, in particular Justin, there’s a lot of mental reps. Really what happens is this: You get the mental side down in the offseason, you’re able to come out here on the grass and see what the timings like.”
Fans may call for Fields to be the week one starter but Nagy and the Bears have continued to persist that it’ll be Dalton. The goal for Fields in year one isn’t just to get physical reps but also mental reps. Nagy knows the benefit of mental reps for a young quarterback, especially considering Mahomes spent 15 games on the bench as a rookie, continuing to watch, getting mental reps each week.
Chicago may not be able to emulate the Mahomes model entirely to its specificity but similarities will exist. The last time Chicago had a rookie quarterback, the franchise rushed Mitchell Trubisky into action out of desperation but with Fields, the plan is to bring him along slowly, emulating the Mahomes model.
The Chicago Bears are the one NFL franchise that’s been searching for a true franchise quarterback for nearly a century. The Bears are notorious for taking multiple swings at the most important position in sports but continuously missing, leading to a hard reset all over again. The Bears’ latest attempt? Former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Chicago also signed veteran Andy Dalton this offseason, assuring Dalton that he’d be the week one starter for the Bears opening contest against the Los Angeles Rams. As soon as the Bears drafted Fields, questions began to circulate, especially regarding Dalton’s job security.
“I’ve had a lot of different conversations with everyone here,” Dalton said via the Bears official Youtube page. “I knew there was a possibility of it. And so when it happened, it is what it is. Justin’s a great guy, getting to know him the last couple weeks, getting to be around him, he’s going to make the quarterback room better.”
Chicago may have drafted Fields but Dalton made it clear in his second official appearance talking to Bears reporters on Wednesday from Halas Hall: 2021 is Dalton’s year to lose and the 33 year old quarterback will do whatever it takes to hold off Fields but also mentor the young quarterback.
“I’m trying to give him any advice I can on certain things, how I would view certain plays, what I do with my eyes on certain things, so just different things that come with experience,” Dalton said. “Going into year 11, I’ve had a lot of ball. So for me, I’m just trying to help him as much as I can.”
There is a misconception regarding Dalton’s career in the NFL. Many assume that he’s just an average starting quarterback who spent nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, losing four playoffs game. Dalton has yet to win a game in the postseason but he does have 74 career wins and has tossed 218 touchdowns to just 126 interceptions.
Listening to Dalton speak on Wednesday afternoon, it was clear that the 11-year veteran isn’t here to lose his starting job. He’s here to help build a winning program, possibly even lead the Bears back to the playoffs and win his first career playoff game in the process. However, for now, Dalton doesn’t care that the Bears drafted Fields, he’s here to win as much as he can.
With a long summer just getting started, the hottest debate of all will be about who the Chicago Bears starting quarterback should be for the 2021 regular season. Fans continue to scream for Justin Fields to start. Through three days of rookie minicamp, Fields has continued to impress, leading to the question: Could Chicago legitimately name Fields the week one starter?
The Bears have continued to insist that veteran Andy Dalton will be the starter. On the surface, the Bears plan is simple: Start Dalton for a few weeks, let Fields learn from the sideline before handing the torch off to Fields at some point during the 2021 season.
On Sunday afternoon, head coach Matt Nagy reiterated who the starting quarterback would be. Backing Dalton should come as a surprise to nobody, especially since general manager Ryan Pace has also said Dalton is the starter going forward.
“As we work through with Justin and where he’s at with this offense, we know it’s going to take a little bit of time here this offseason and as we get into training camp,” Nagy said via the Bears official Youtube page. “Andy is the starter. Andy is going to get the one reps.”
The easy solution would be to start Fields day one. But the Bears are showing that they’ve learned from past mistakes. Rather than just throw Fields to the wolves, Chicago is doing everything the right way, bringing Fields along slowly. The franchise realizes Fields isn’t just a five-year investment. He’s a 15 to 20 year investment that should solve the quarterback position in Chicago for the first time in franchise history.
There is a simple piece of information that’s missing when it comes to Dalton starting. He may be the opening day starter in Los Angeles for the Bears but Chicago has yet to disclose how long Dalton will actually be under center for the Bears. It’s hard to see Chicago completely turning around and just naming Fields the starter over Dalton but the franchise that’s been cursed at the quarterback position for the last 102 years is finally trying to things the right way.
At the start of the 2021 NFL offseason, uncertainty was one phrase used to describe the Chicago Bears franchise. The Bears had an aging defense, no long-term solution at quarterback, and soured relations with wide receiver Allen Robinson, one of the franchise’s best players. Fast forward to May, the defense may still be getting older, but the Chicago at least has a long-term solution at quarterback in Justin Fields.
When looking at the Bears offseason, Chicago admitted its mistakes this offseason, especially head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace. By letting former second overall pick Mitchell Trubisky hit free agency, Pace admitted that the former North Carolina quarterback was a miss. Compared to last offseason, this is a big step forward for Pace as an evaluator because the seventh-year GM is finally learning to cut losses and move on instead of forcing and hoping everything works out.
Then there’s Nagy, who many labeled an offensive guru four years ago. That title hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype. Nagy didn’t only flop with Trubisky, he was a reason that the franchise traded for Nick Foles last offseason, guaranteeing Foles $21M in the process while giving up a fourth-round pick.
The Bears’ experiment with Foles didn’t exactly work out either. In seven starts, Foles would win just two games, throw 10 touchdowns, and toss eight interceptions. Foles stat line wouldn’t be bad for just Foles, it’d be bad for every starting quarterback over a seven-game stretch.
Chicago further admitted that trading for Foles was a mistake when the Bears signed Andy Dalton to a one-year, $10M deal in free agency. Dalton may not move the needle significantly for the Bears, but he is the winningest NFL-ready quarterback on the Bears roster.
The winds of change swept through Chicago this offseason. For a franchise that has traditionally been known to make multiple mistakes and move on from players too late, the Bears admitted their mistakes this offseason, resetting the timeline for the franchise to be competitive once again.
The New York Jets have decisions to make at quarterback. A stopgap can provide welcome stability if they move on from Sam Darnold.
Well-meaning parents who purchased their children New York Jets jerseys bearing Trevor Lawrence’s name for the December holidays have some explaining to do.
The Jets’ endeavor for Trevor is more than likely over after Sunday, as a combination of a New York win and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 14th consecutive defeat sent the top overall pick in this spring’s draft to Duval County. Considering the Jaguars (1-14) opted to play Mike Glennon in place of Gardner Minshew for their 41-17 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears, it’s more or less assured that they’re planning to select the Clemson thrower set to partake in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on Friday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Even if the Jets (2-13) landed the top overall choice…a scenario rendered impossible by their pair of December wins and the strength of schedule tiebreaker…there was going to be debate over whether they should use it on Lawrence or entrust another year to incumbent starter Sam Darnold. With nearly three stanzas completed, the narrative of Darnold’s New York saga is a complicated one. It has been defined by the occasional flash of brilliance too often countered with head-scratching decisions on the field. The story has also been interrupted by calamities that are either an unfortunate part of the game (injuries) or something most go quarterbacks go through their whole career without seeing (mononucleosis). Missing four games with a shoulder ailment hasn’t helped, but Darnold is on pace to set new career lows in most major passing categories, including yards (currently at 1,942) and touchdown passes (8).
 Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY NETWORK
Countless amounts of turnover have like played a role in Darnold’s lack of progress. His crucial developmental years have been staged in not only the Todd Bowles-to-Adam Gase staff transition, but the general manager swap from Mike Maccagnan to Joe Douglas. Nothing drives the point of unstable turnover than the fact that no receiver (with the exception of tight end Chris Herndon) from Darnold’s rookie campaign (2018) remains on the current Jets’ roster. The Jets may be ready to make yet another coaching change with Gase’s win percentage (.290) besting only Rich Kotite amongst green head coaches with at least one full year at the helm.
Tempting as it may be to see what Darnold could do with a new coaching staff (provided Gase is indeed dealt his walking papers), a legal separation, one perhaps involving a trade for draft picks, may be the best for all parties involved. The Jets don’t have time to help pen anyone else’s redemption story…they’ve spent a decade trying to write their own…and Darnold deserves a place that isn’t relying on him to be a one-size-fits-all solution.
If 2020 has proven anything, it’s that the Jets are far removed from being “a quarterback away’ from mere relevancy, much less the Super Bowl. This is a team with many needs, and it’s not fair to Darnold, Lawrence, or an unknown, young third party to expect them to be the savior sought since Joe Namath hung up his green and white paraphernalia for the last time. Even if the Jets are poised to miss out on Lawrence, the 2021 draft has provided solid consolation prizes in the form of Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Kyle Trask.
But what if the Jets took a year off from the franchise quarterback process?
Such a concept has been on the rise in recent years, the phenomenon informally labeled as using a “stopgap” quarterback. Through this endeavor, a talented quarterback helps the team in question keep rolling while other needs are addressed and developed.
The stopgap, as his name implies, is not meant to be the starter for any extended period of time. Rather, they arise out of necessity or in case of emergency. Oftentimes, the stopgap is called upon to clean up the mess or void a retired or departing franchise quarterback left behind. Modern examples on the 2020 circuit include Phillip Rivers in Indianapolis and Cam Newton in New England. Sometines, the stopgap manages to extend his stay. Modern Tom Brady could arguably be seen as a stopgap in Tampa Bay, as the Buccaneers sought his services to capitalize on a strong team around him in plans to make the most of a window of contentions. The Tennessee Titans perhaps envisioned Ryan Tannehill, fresh off a polarizing stint as Miami’s franchise man, as a temporary solution when they pulled the plug on the Marcus Mariota experiment. Tannehill helped guide the Titans to a pair of surprise playoffs wins and was rewarded with the Comeback Player of the Year Award and a four-extension.
A similar plan could work out for the Jets, a team working on a playoff game drought that’s older than all but two movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The most important thing the Jets need right now is stability. They’re a team venturing off the football rails, where even a mere winning record has proven elusive. This is a squad that needs to get back to a place where a win isn’t the worst thing that can happen to the franchise, as many have declared after the Jets stole wins from playoff contenders in Los Angeles and Cleveland. This isn’t a scenario like the Indianapolis Colts had in 2012, when Andrew Luck turned a two-win squad into a playoff team. The Jets don’t have a plethora of reliable veterans to help the kid, unlike Indianapolis’ haul of Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, and Adam Vinatieri, among others.
There’s a light at the end of the green tunnel in the form of 2021 cap space. The Jets’ offseason bank currently stands at just over $81 million, once again trailing only Jacksonville. This season, particularly a strong December, has yielded some potential building blocks (Mekhi Becton, Denzel Mims, Quinnen Williams, Marcus Maye among them), but the Jets are far from a completed project. They still need blocking and weaponry on offense while the defense needs help in the secondary. The pass rush also needs to be bolstered with matchups against Josh Allen on the horizon for the next decade, and their kicking situation needs clarity. It’s not fair to waste further development on Darnold on a situation like this, nor is this any condition in which to subject a top overall pick. As the Jets try to find their footing, a stopgap man could work wonders. A short-term deal is feasible in this cap space surplus, filling one need while diverting attention to more long-term goals. Draft picks obtained from a potential trade of Darnold can be used to net weaponry that can be overseen by a proven throwing option.
Whereas the draft class may loaded with franchise potential, 2021’s free agency class is laden with stopgap potential. Jacoby Brissett had a strong showing in filling the gap between Luck and Rivers last season and would potentially seek a new chance to return to starting duties. Andy Dalton has kept the Dallas Cowboys in contention for the NFC East title since taking over for the injured Dak Prescott. The Jets may even have a stopgap option on their roster in the form of Joe Flacco. Super Bowl XLVII’s MVP may be facing the twilight of his career, but showed that he did have some gas left in the tank while filling in for an injured Darnold earlier this season.
The Jets’ most recent glory days…or the closest thing resembling them in this dreary decade…have come with stopgap guys under center. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 2015 season appears at or near the top of nearly every single-season passing record in the Jets’ record book. Fitzpatrick (as well as fellow free-agent-to-be Tyrod Taylor, who helped end the Buffalo Bills’ eternal playoff drought before Josh Allen arrived) has nearly made a career out of the concept and currently serves in such a capacity in Miami on a part-time basis as they bide their time with Tua Tagovailoa.
 [ALLEN EYESTONE/The Palm Beach Post]Two years later, Josh McCown kept the Jets competitive in a year some expected them to go winless. The final ledger read 5-11, but McCown’s brief restablization kept them in ball games.
Of course, the Jets have plenty of time to rectify their current surroundings to make them more desireable to an incoming franchise quarterback. If offseason funds are spent wisely (i.e. adding a strong receiving talent like Allen Robinson or JuJu Smith-Schuster), the idea of a stopgap man could seem almost laughable. For all we know, Darnold could emerge to pilot his fourth straight kickoff weekend for the Jets, hopefully one packed to the brim with fans this time around. But the stopgap conversation is one the Jets shouldn’t ignore this offseason.
Whatever the Jets have been trying in the franchise quarterback department, it’s clearly not working. Maybe some change would do them some good…if only temporarily.
