The Chicago Bears have named their starting quarterback for the 2021 season, only it appears they haven't at all, which should make Andy Dalton very nervous. The veteran signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Bears in the first week of free agency, after he and the Dallas Cowboys expectedly parted ways because of his want of returning to the QB1 role after signing on as backup to Dak Prescott in 2020. Adding Dalton to the roster led many to believe -- including Dalton -- the Bears had finally given up on trying to pry Russell Wilson away from the Seattle Seahawks.
Apparently, however, that is not the case. The Bears are reportedly still in on Wilson, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, who points at the 2021 NFL Draft as the touchstone moment when the NFL will find out if Chicago can pull off what would be a blockbuster trade for the eight-time Pro Bowler.
This makes Dalton's proclamation from his first press conference as a Bear a tad awkward, to say the least.
"They told me I was the starter," he said, per the Associated Press. "That was one of the reasons why I wanted to come here. So every conversation I've had has been that, so that's the assurance that I've gotten. ... Obviously I know there's been a lot of talk, but I'm coming in from the outside.
"A lot of people don't know a ton about me and are gonna get to learn a lot about me while I'm here. That's all I'm worried about and so, I'm here now. Hopefully everybody gets a chance to see who I am as a player, as a person, see what we're gonna be able to do with this organization. I'm excited about the opportunity.
"Obviously, there's been a lot of talk, but I'm not worried about any of that."
By all accounts, he probably should be, at least until further notice.
As an aside from Dalton's brimming confidence, considering what the Bears have already reportedly offered the Seahawks, only to be met with a hard "no," it's almost unfathomable what sort of package they would put together to make it happen. The most recent rumor revealed the Bears offering up three first-round picks, one third-round pick and two starters. And although it's undetermined who those players would be/would've been, some speculate Khalil Mack might have been included when factoring in the Seahawks' desperate need for a dynamic pass rusher.
Regardless of the specifics, the Seahawks weren't interested, despite their well-publicized rift with the future Hall of Fame quarterback; one that went as far as Wilson's agent listing the four teams he'd wave his no-trade clause for -- which later drew blowback from Dak Prescott's agent, Todd France, once the two-time Pro Bowl landed his four-year megadeal with Dallas Cowboys. With no heavy-laden speculation emanating from neither the Las Vegas Raiders nor the New Orleans Saints, two of the four teams Wilson's agent named, it leaves the Bears as the frontrunner in a one-horse race to convince the Seahawks they should reset their entire franchise in 2021.
And, as general manager Ryan Pace discovered, that's a hard sell, which is what initially led them to Dalton.
"When [the Wilson trade] wasn't happening and this worked out for [the Bears and I] to come together, and for me to be a part of this team, I was ecstatic because I was hoping that was gonna be the case," Dalton added. "I knew everything that was going on."
"Knew" and "knowing" are two entirely different things, though, much like "was" and "is."
