Andy Dalton trade could have Tannehill-like effect on Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have put out feelers about an Andy Dalton trade and such a deal could have a dramatically positive effect on this team.

Andy Dalton being traded to the Chicago Bears was a notion floated prior to the NFL Trade Deadline, though it never materialized. But now, as the Cincinnati Bengals are prepared to take Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Dalton to the Windy City is beginning to look like more of a real possibility.

With Burrow coming into focus for the Bengals, they are reportedly ready to work with Dalton on a trade to help him land on a good situation. And as reported by Paul Dehner of The Athletic (subscription required), Cincinnati has spoken to the Bears about potentially sending the quarterback to Chicago in a deal. And though Mitchell Trubisky remains in tow, that might be the best possible spot for Dalton to land.

Ask anyone what the issue with the Bears is right now and they’ll tell you it’s the quarterback position. Despite being the No. 2 overall pick in 2017, Trubisky has severely limited an offense that is rife with talent, which is exacerbated by the fact that Khalil Mack and the defense are still performing like one of the best units in the NFL.

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Trubisky’s decision-making, inability to consistently push the ball downfield — if at all — and his general lack of leadership and poise as the signal-caller, has left the Bears unable to meet expectations, even if they made the playoffs in 2018. At the same time, however, this is a possible Super Bowl team if they could get stability under center.

Dalton is anything but spectacular but he’s proven to be capable of winning and providing stability at the quarterback position. He can make every throw on the field, won’t kill your team and has plenty of experience. These are all the areas where Trubisky has troubled Chicago to this point in his career.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy have maintained that Trubisky will enter the offseason as the starter. However, if they were to bring in Dalton, we could see a situation similar to what transpired in Tennessee with Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill this past season.

The Titans, who were not content with the development of Mariota, brought in Tannehill via a low-risk trade as competition. And after a poor start, Tannehill took the reins and the team took off. Not only did they make the playoffs after going 2-4 at the beginning of the year but they made it to the AFC Championship Game.

Dalton could have a similar effect on the Bears. Either he pushes Trubisky to unlock something in himself that we haven’t seen or he can take over as a steady veteran capable of allowing the offensive talent and the defense around him to thrive as opposed to stifling their potential.

Simply put, an Andy Dalton trade is the best course of action for the Bears at quarterback this offseason. Nothing about the veteran quarterback is “sexy” as an acquisition but the effect it could have on Chicago could be massively positive.