The New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears are swapping backup quarterbacks.
Not long after losing Trevor Siemian to the Bears, the Saints are swooping in and signing veteran Andy Dalton to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The deal is $3 million guaranteed.
Dalton will be the backup for Jameis Winston, who tore his ACL last season after beginning 2021 as the starter. Winston re-signed with the Saints on a two-year deal and should be back for training camp ahead of the 2022 season.
New Orleans plans to have Taysom Hill focus on playing tight end in 2022. Ian Book and Blake Bortles are both also on the quarterback depth chart, but it seems the Saints wanted another veteran in place who could be counted on in a pinch.
Dalton began last season as the starter for the Bears, but an early injury resulted in rookie Justin Fields taking over. Dalton returned to the starting role when Fields got hurt. In eight games and six starts, the 34-year-old completed 63.1% of his passes while throwing for 1,515 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. His quarterback rating was just 76.9 for a Bears offense that was awful no matter who was under center.
The Saints are moving forward with Dennis Allen as the head coach in the wake of Sean Payton's departure. New Orleans barely missed the playoffs last season after going 9-8, and the quarterback room is now full after a failed Deshaun Watson chase.
Follow Us
Subscribe