Chicago Bears fans have clamored all offseason long for rookie Justin Fields to get the nod as the starting quarterback over Andy Dalton.
While it hasn't been the plan at any point for Matt Nagy and the Bears, the effort from the fans was admirable despite Dalton keeping hold of the starting gig for now.
Dalton knows the pressure will be on from the start but per the Chicago Sun Times, he has a plan to try and remain focused while holding tight of the QB1 spot in Chicago.
“That’s the worst thing you can do, is look over your shoulder,” Dalton said. “So understanding that is key… We’re talking about tuning out the stuff you don’t need to focus on and knowing where you need to put your time and effort and all that kind of stuff. I think that’s just where I’m at. You don’t worry about all the other stuff.”
Dalton came over during free agency in the offseason to the Bears after spending a year with the Dallas Cowboys. The plan was for Dalton to be the backup in Dallas but after Dak Prescott suffered a brutal season-ending ankle injury early in the 2020 season, it was the veteran Dalton who filled in for the majority of the season the rest of the way.
The Bears know they drafted Fields for a reason and it's to eventually be the franchise quarterback for years and years to come. Them taking a slow approach to ease him into the NFL is fine for now but if Dalton really struggles, even out of the gate in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams, the noise will become louder.
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