Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton will become a free agent this upcoming offseason as his career is winding down. According to several reports, he wants to be back with the Carolina Panthers as their backup quarterback moving forward but that might not happen coming this March. Even though the conversations within the organization are positive doesn’t mean he’ll have a guaranteed stay with the Panthers. While they don’t plan to draft a new signal-caller to replace Bryce Young despite benching him after two games in favor of Dalton, it won’t mean the Panthers might not have interest in selecting a new free agent signee.
Originally selected in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the veteran spent the first nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, leading them to five consecutive playoff appearances and notching three Pro Bowl selections. Despite that success, he wasn’t the same signal-caller that the Bengals brought in since he was losing the past four consecutive seasons. Dalton found himself as the starter and backup for the Dallas Cowboys before becoming a journeyman with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. He got his chance with the Panthers for five games since the Young bench but after his car accident, the team had no choice but to give Young another shot as the starter.
If Dalton returns to Carolina, he would continue to mentor Young who’s been putting up an impressive end to the 2024 campaign. However, the Panthers could turn the page and add a fresh backup quarterback to accommodate Young. Dalton is aging so it might be time for him to kick his feet up as the backup with these two contenders who have a high chance of a Super Bowl ring before he retires.
Andy Dalton Entering 2025 As a Free Agent, Could Have More in Tank With Ravens, Chiefs
Help for Lamar Jackson
Quarterback Lamar Jackson will be phenomenal for the next decade as long he continues to stay healthy and play at a high level. He’s in line to earn a third MVP award and adding running back Derrick Henry has only given Jackson the utmost power anyone has seen from him in the league. This means no one will take his spot but Dalton wouldn’t need to take that away from him. The Ravens are relying on Josh Johnson since losing Tyler Huntley this past offseason so all hell could break loose if Jackson suffers a season-ending injury.
While that won’t ever happen anytime soon, Dalton could serve as the backup to bring the Ravens into the winning column. Dalton is no Jackson but it gives the Ravens a fighting chance to stay competitive in the playoff race. It might be a good opportunity for Dalton himself to learn from one of the elites even though he has all of the experience in the world as a journey. However, the veteran’s presence should make Jackson feel more comfortable as the starter.
The Dalton Experiment
Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes had a few inconsistent concerns this season, hoping to fix the Travis Kelce chemistry issues and connect the dots with several wide receivers. However, no one is taking his spot either as he has arguably the best arm in today’s age. Dalton will never win a starting job with the Chiefs but he could be a significant upgrade from Carson Wentz. The Chiefs didn’t see much from Wentz in his limited action against the Broncos and while it was just one game, it became a blowout which may have to question about who will be the future backup for Mahomes.
It shouldn’t be surprising if Wentz isn’t in the NFL anymore and allows Dalton to play for the Chiefs as the backup.
The post Veteran Free Agent Could Have More in Tank With Ravens, Chiefs appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.