Andy Dalton has the support of the Bears’ coaching staff and that’s all that matters to him. Justin Fields, the fan favorite to be Chicago’s starting quarterback, can wait.
“Justin is going to have his time and Justin is going to have a great career,” Dalton told reporters on Wednesday. “But right now it’s my time, so my focus is on being the best player I can be for this team and helping this team win.”
The 33-year-old Dalton has been tabbed the starter by head coach Matt Nagy, despite Fields’ impressive start to the preseason and strong work during practice.
“I know who I am. I know who I was created to be. I know where my identity lies,” said Dalton, who signed a one-year deal with the Bears this offseason.
“Do I want the fans behind me and this team? Yes. Do I want them behind Justin? Absolutely I do.”
Dalton has enjoyed a strong career, reaching three Pro Bowls with the Bengals, the last coming in 2016. He was a mediocre fill-in last year for starter Dak Prescott in Dallas, throwing 14 touchdown passes, eight interceptions and completing 64.9 percent of his passes.
Fields, meanwhile, is the Bears’ future after they took him 10th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.