Report: Andy Dalton was told he would be Week 1 starter

Much has been made about whether Justin Fields can win the Chicago Bears’ quarterback job ahead of Week 1. If a new report is to be believed, the decision has already been made.

According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, the Chicago Bears have already told Andy Dalton he will be the team’s Week 1 starter no matter what. This was apparently relayed to Dalton before the Bears drafted Fields, with the caveat that it would be true whether or not the team selected a quarterback.

This certainly goes against some of the reports that have surfaced about a potential quarterback competition. The Bears know they don’t need to rush Fields, though. No one knows that better than Matt Nagy, who was in Kansas City when the Chiefs essentially gave Patrick Mahomes a redshirt for his rookie season. That worked out great for the Chiefs in the long run.

The Bears have been adamant about starting Dalton since he signed, despite a lot of speculation and snickering. It makes sense, though. Dalton likely wouldn’t have taken the deal had he not been promised at least a great shot at a starting job.