Justin Fields' eye-popping preseason debut for the Chicago Bears this past weekend didn't prompt head coach Matt Nagy to rethink his quarterback plan for the regular season. He reiterated on Monday that veteran Andy Dalton is still the team's starter, and their touted first-round rookie remains the backup.
And while it seems as if Nagy is Dalton's only supporter in Chicago right now, veteran receiver Allen Robinson believes the Bears are well-equipped to win with Dalton under center.
"I feel like the connection we've had since mandatory minicamp has been very good," Robinson told the Tiki and Tierney show on Tuesday. "Andy has a chip on his shoulder and a stake to claim in this league as well. Same for myself. As guys who've played in this league, each and every day, we go out there with a chip on our shoulder because we're guys who not only belong in this league, but who've done what we've done...
"And that's what makes vet guys special, especially being in Andy's situation. He's played a ton of ball in this league, led teams to playoffs and stuff like that. Andy definitely has a chip on his shoulder, just how he's going about everything. I think for a receiver and others looking at him, it's fun to see."
Dalton, who turns 34 in October, signed a one-year free agent deal with the Bears back in March. As the Dallas Cowboys' backup last season, he wound up starting nine games, and finished the campaign with 2,170 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a completion percentage of 64.9.
Prior to his short stint with the Cowboys, Dalton spent nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. There, he amassed 31,594 yards and 204 touchdowns in 133 games, and led the franchise to five consecutive playoff appearances between 2011 and 2015.
During the era of the 16-game schedule (1978-2020), the Bears were the only team in the NFL that didn't have a single quarterback throw for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in a season. They've also drafted 31 total signal-callers since winning their lone Super Bowl in 1986.
The Bears will open the 2021 season in Los Angeles against the Rams on Sept. 12. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, Chicago currently has the third-best odds (+500) to win the NFC North and the 10th-best odds (+2500) to win the conference.
The entire conversation between Robinson and Tiki and Tierney can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Tiki and Tierney Show on Twitter @TikiAndTierney and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.