The Chicago Bears are a hot mess. After a disappointing press conference following their 2020 playoff loss that left fans with more questions than answers, the only thing that was apparent was that head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace were back. Bears fans everywhere were frustrated and demanding changes. Then came the offseason and rumors. The Bears were in on both Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson. Fans were cautiously optimistic that this franchise with a history of hurting us was finally going to get a star quarterback. Then the universe righted itself and Andy Dalton was signed for $10 million dollars guaranteed. There are several points to be considered around this signing.
First, Andy Dalton is not an improvement over Mitch Trubisky. Over the last four seasons, Trubisky threw for 10,609 yards and 64 touchdowns with an average QBR of 87.3 over that span. During that same stretch, Dalton threw for 11,550 yards and 76 touchdowns with an average QBR of 85.4. Slightly better stats for Dalton on 200 more attempts, but not enough to justify moving on from Mitch and a $10 million dollar payday. Give me the 26-year-old with room to improve over a 33-year-old that has proven what he is all day.
Second, why are we paying Dalton $10 million dollars? He was worth $3 million last year and did nothing in Dallas to improve that price tag. Nine games, 2,000 yards 14 touchdowns and eight picks does not equal $10 million dollars.
Third, and most important, paying Dalton does not fix the Bears. Having Dalton at quarterback does not fix the offensive line, does not make Allen Robinson happy, does not fix the run game and does not give you a play caller that can make a sub par offense work. There is nothing the Bears have done by signing Dalton to improve a rushing attack that ranked 22nd or a passing attack that ranked 25th last year. And now they have even less salary cap room to fix the rest of the holes on offense and retain their elite defense.
Overall, this was neither the move the Bears needed to improve next season or the move the Bears needed to obtain a placeholder quarterback. I will give Pace credit for making an aggressive offer for Wilson, but this was not the answer after Seattle declined. Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, Jameis Winston, and possibly even, Cam Newton would have been available for less money and higher upside than the Red Rifle. Buckle up fans, and get ready for another 8-8 year. Bear Down.
Garrett Schreur is a Contributor for Unwrapped Sports Network. Follow him on on Twitter @Garrettfromiowa