More than anybody, Chicago Bears QB1, Andy Dalton should be feeling pressure
When the Bears drafted Justin Fields, the pressure immediately became that of 1,000 pounds on the back of Andy Dalton. It’s like deja vu. Back in 2017, the Bears signed Mike Glennon and promised him the starting gig, only to draft Mitchell Trubisky at no. 2 overall.
This year, Dalton told the media he came to Chicago because they told him he was the starter.
It’s safe to say that his time as the starter is on a short leash.
Following Day 1, Ryan Pace told the media that Dalton will be his starter, still. His plan is to sit Fields similarly to how the Kansas City Chiefs sat Patrick Mahomes for a year. But, Dalton isn’t exactly up to par with the way Alex Smith was playing at that point in his career. Not to mention, Fields had a lot more draft hype than Mahomes did. Fields is a more polished prospect coming out of college, too.
Mark my words: Fields will win the starting job before Week 1. There is no chance Dalton sticks. It’s not happening.
The skill set is so different between the two of them. Fields is simply on another level, and he hasn’t even played a down yet. If Dalton thinks he can believe Pace about keeping his starting job, he’s kidding himself. Very soon, Fields will be QB1. It’s a simple fact that is on its way to becoming reality.