The Bears signed Andy Dalton on March 16. They drafted Justin Fields only 44 days later.
Fields is the future and eventually will unseat Dalton as the Bears’ starter, but the veteran quarterback will enter the season under center.
Less than four months after signing, Dalton “100 percent” understands the scheme, coach Matt Nagy said Monday.
“He’s got full control of this offense, without a doubt,” Nagy said, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times. “We could play a game tomorrow and be just fine.”
Dalton, 33, has 142 regular-season starts in his career and another four in the postseason. In 10 seasons, he has played for two teams in multiple systems, spending nine years in Cincinnati and last season in Dallas.
So nothing seems to faze him -- not a rookie quarterback readying to take his spot or a new playbook.
“I’ve been a part of so many different systems that there’s not many plays that are new to me,” Dalton said Monday. “I’m very confident with what we have and got going. It’s about building that chemistry during camp and being ready for Week 1.
“I feel really good where we’re at right now. Just reading body language on certain routes — you talk about anticipation throws, when you see certain moves. You know you can let the ball go and they’re going to be in this spot.”