Chicago Bears: 5 players with the most to prove in 2021 season

Chicago Bears with the most to prove in 2021: Andy Dalton

Count this as the most obvious player on the list. Andy Dalton has a world of pressure on his shoulders. If I was Dalton, I would be more motivated than ever to prove I could still play at a high level and that the 2020 season was a fluke.

Last year, Dalton had a hard time putting points on the board with a Cowboys offense featuring some star-studded weapons. The Cowboys couldn’t quite figure things out after Dak Prescott went down, which may have proved Dalton is past his best days. Dalton had Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup to work with, yet still struggled.

Now labeled the Bears’ starter — for now — Dalton faces the toughest challenge of his career. He is going to be feeling the heat with rookie first-round pick Justin Fields waiting in the wing right behind him.

Everybody wants to see Fields play sooner rather than later, and the Bears coaching staff knows Fields is the future. The likelihood of Dalton playing past Week 5 is slim-to-none if you ask me. So again, if I’m Dalton, this year is a year to prove I’m still more than a capable starter in this league.

Will Dalton rise to the challenge? Not many believe he will.