Andy Dalton issues strong response to talk of Justin Fields taking his job

“Do I want the fans behind me and this team and all that kind of stuff? Yes. Do I want them behind Justin? Absolutely, I do, but that’s not my focus,” Dalton said. “I can’t focus on all that right now. Justin’s gonna have his time and Justin’s gonna have a great career. But right now it’s my time, so my focus is on being the best player I can be for this team and doing everything I can to help this team win.”

You have to admire Dalton’s attitude toward the situation. For what it’s worth, Bears head coach Matt Nagy recently said Dalton is still QB1. He did, however, stop short of naming Dalton the Week 1 starter.

Fields completed 14-of-20 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in Chicago’s exhibition win over the Miami Dolphins last week The first-round pick also rushed for 33 yards and a score. One play in particular showcased how he is capable of becoming a nightmare for defenses (video here).

Nagy said earlier in the offseason that Dalton is the Bears’ starter. That will likely remain the plan heading into Week 1, but Dalton will have to play well and win games. Otherwise, Nagy is going to face a tremendous amount of pressure to give Fields a shot.