Andy Dalton is certainly as confident as ever in his abilities as an NFL quarterback.
Dalton, currently with the Carolina Panthers, asserted that he remains a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL, even though he is poised to back up first-overall pick Bryce Young this year.
“I view myself as a starter in this league; I don’t think there are 32 guys better than me,” Dalton told Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “But this is the situation I am in, and I understand that. As soon as I don’t think I’m one of the best 32, or a little lower, I’ll be watching football on TV.”
Dalton has found a way to work himself into a starting role in recent years, and he was serviceable in 14 games for the New Orleans Saints last season. The team went 6-8 in his starts, as he threw for 2,871 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. It is fair to say, however, that few teams would pursue him as a guaranteed starter at this stage of his career.
Dalton’s reputation at this point is one of a backup, and that is the situation he is likely to find himself in in 2023. After all, few NFL teams would want their starting quarterbacks to be saddled with a streak like the "Monday Night Football" one for Dalton at any point.
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