(670 The Score) Andy Dalton has heard the uproar from Chicago since he signed a one-year deal to become the Bears' new starting quarterback.
Seahawks star Russell Wilson was the quarterback whom Chicago hoped to be welcoming to the city this week. Instead, the Seahawks declined the Bears' best offer, and Chicago pivoted by signing the 33-year-old Dalton to a one-year, $10-million deal. Dalton immediately landed with a franchise desperate for a quarterback and one under the leadership of a general manager in Ryan Pace who keeps missing at the critical position.
It's why the reaction to Dalton's status as the Bears' new starting quarterback was anything but warm. Chicago is viewing Dalton for who he isn't, not what he could be.
"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," Dalton said Thursday as the Bears introduced him at Halas Hall. "I'm excited about the opportunity."
Dalton is far from the first Bears quarterback to face such scrutiny. The night after Mitchell Trubisky was selected No. 2 overall in 2017, he received boos while being introduced at a Bulls game. Jay Cutler, Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman and many other quarterbacks came to understand the frustration this city has endured at the position.
Up north, the rival Packers seamlessly transitioned from Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre to future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, giving them a run of stellar play under center for 29 years and counting. Meanwhile, the Bears have failed over and over again at finding a franchise arm.
Dalton's personality is part of the reason the Bears view him as the right fit for 2021. They hope he can play near his Pro Bowl form of the past, and they believe he's the type of person who can handle the pressure of playing in Chicago.
"Halas Hall hasn't seen a quarterback with this kind of leadership and Type A personality in a long time," a league source said of Dalton.
Pace made a trade for Wilson his top priority this offseason but came up short. He met with Seahawks general manager John Schneider in Fargo, North Dakota -- the site of quarterback Trey Lance's pro day -- last Friday, according to NFL Media reports. The Bears offered three first-round picks, a third-round pick and two starting-caliber players, according to reports.
But the Seahawks weren't interested in dealing Wilson, a seven-time Pro Bowler who has led them to one Super Bowl championship. At 69 years old, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll didn't want to lead a rebuild. So Pace turned his focus to signing Dalton instead.
The Bears offered Dalton the opportunity to start in 2021, though he also recognizes the possibility that Chicago could select a quarterback in the NFL Draft, which begins April 29.
"They told me I was the starter," Dalton said. "That was one of the reasons I wanted to come here.
"That's the assurance I got."
A second-round pick of the Bengals in 2011, Dalton started 133 games for Cincinnati across nine seasons. He elevated a perennial doormat franchise to success, which included five playoff appearances and him posting a 70-61-2 record as a starter. But the Bengals benched Dalton in 2019 while making an apparent pursuit of the No. 1 overall pick, then released him last April shortly after selecting Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow in the NFL Draft.
Dalton was left without a legitimate opportunity to start in 2020 and signed as the Cowboys' backup behind Dak Prescott. Dalton then experienced a season full of challenges. He led Dallas to four of its six wins in making nine starts after Prescott suffered a season-ending injury, but Dalton also suffered a concussion and contracted COVID-19 in consecutive weeks in early November.
The difficulties in Dallas were part of why he saw appeal in Chicago. Despite the Bears' quarterback struggles -- and the harsh welcome he received -- Dalton views this as an opportunity. And he hopes to prove something to Chicago.
“I’d love for this to be the last place that I play," Dalton said. "I’d love to finish my career here and get established. For me, this is the second half of my career. I want to play really good football. I want to help this team win a lot of games. I want to bring some excitement to this city.
"That’s just kind of where I’m at and what I’m looking forward to."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.