Panthers plan to sign Andy Dalton

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 14, 2023, 6:00 PM EDT
Carolina Panthers v New Orleans Saints
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The Panthers have identified the veteran mentor they want for the quarterback they will draft next month.

Andy Dalton and the Panthers are close to an agreement on a two-year contract, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Dalton obviously is not a long-term answer in Carolina, where a rookie quarterback is certain to arrive after the Panthers traded up to the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. But if that rookie isn’t ready to start in Week One, Dalton could open the season as the starter. If the rookie is ready, Dalton will be the backup who functions like another quarterbacks coach.

The 35-year-old Dalton played for the Saints, Bears and Cowboys the last three seasons after playing his first nine NFL seasons with the Bengals. Last year in New Orleans he started 14 games, and had a career-high 66.7 percent completion rate, with 18 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

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33 responses to “Panthers plan to sign Andy Dalton”

  2. Dalton was competent in his year with the Saints – not the answer, but competent. He will be a decent mentor for whomever The Smartest Guy In The Room (Tepper) drafts…

  7. Dalton at the right price is a solid back-up/emergency starter but those are the only two roles he should be playing for them. Good guy to have in the QB room but not who you want to be relying on as QB1.

  8. touchback6 says:
    March 14, 2023 at 6:07 pm

    Amazing how these guys keep making millions for no justifiable reason.

    ===

    Who do you think is a better alternative?

  9. I am not a fan of Dalton as a long term starter but this is a good role for him, like Keenum in Houston.

  11. Andy seems like a good guy and is a good QB. Will make the most of his time there and be a positive impact on the locker room. Best wishes AD.

  12. See what you want about Dalton but he’s smart and works hard. He’s a good role model for any Young quarterback. He’s not a diva so he will help them develop instead of ignoring them like some older quarterbacks will do. And he is competent enough to start if the starter goes down when he’s backing up. He usually pretty well liked in the locker room never heard any of his teammates say a bad word about him. That’s what you need when you’re trying to develop a Young quarterback

  13. Can’t wait for the signature mediocrity that defines a Frank Reich team. The Colts deserve an owner and HC who have accomplished exactly nothing.

  16. Wow, Dalton already did this once with Justin Fields and lost his job real quick. God bless these guys that get a second life as has been backups

  18. He’s having a nice late career transition from starter to quality backup. His numbers the past two years I think make him look better than he was, but it’s hard to complain about him as a backup.

  20. The Patriots would’ve signed him as a mentor but they already have a Dalton clone in Jones

  21. Good pick up. I liked Dalton as a stop gap in New Orleans. He definitely could have gotten more help from his endlessly injured receiving corps and o-line but he did well with what he had. Not fond of him landing in A division rival but I do wish him well. He’ll be a good mentor to the rookie.

  22. I never pictured Dalton playing on four different teams in four years.

  23. I did a total brain fart when I saw that headline. It says Andy Dalton, but in my head I saw it as “Carson Wentz”, and thought “Wow THAT’S a mistake!”

    I’m not sure I ever expected that there would be a time when Dalton would seem like a better signing than Wentz.

  24. I’ve been saying that Dalton would be a great QB for a team planning on drafting one of the top QBs in the draft. While he can still play well, he’s obviously getting closer to the end of his career, and would make a great mentor. Plus, he would be easy to bench once the Panthers feel ready to start the new guy. He knows he’ll have to get out of the way graciously when the time comes. After all, he’s pretty much at the veteran backup phase of his career.

    Case Keenum was just signed to serve a similar role in Houston. Also a smart move.

  25. It better pan out because Reich hasnt exactly set the world on fire with veteran QBs. Why not have just tried to develop Darnold?

  27. Last game he played he lost to a QB with a rating of 2.8!!!

    Bridge to nowhere…

  28. Love Andy from his years in the Natti. He is still a pretty good QB this is an upgrade from Darnold and Baker for sure.

  29. I’m not sure Dalton is the guy I would want as a veteran mentor to my rookie QB. Solid back-up? Sure. But wouldn’t you prefer to have your rookie mentored by someone that’s played at a very high level for a number of years? Someone known for their leadership? Someone like Matt Ryan or Nick Foles maybe? I just don’t see Dalton being the mentoring type.

  30. Wish the saints would have kept Dalton and sent Winston to the panthers instead. Would make Carolina an easier division rival to beat.

  31. Dalton won’t look good against the Saints D, what makes anyone think he would?

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