Bears’ Andy Dalton: Justin Fields Will Have Great Career but Right Now It’s ‘My Time’

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Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton
said Wednesday he’s confident in rookie Justin Fields’ potential, but
he’s focused on making the best of his own 2021 season.

Dalton explained he’s hopeful the fans
will support him while he’s the starter amid a push for Fields to
immediately take over the first-team offense after a strong showing
in his preseason debut against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday.

“Do I want the fans behind me and
this team and all that kind of stuff? Yes. Do I want them behind
Justin? Absolutely I do,” Dalton told reporters (starting around the 4:50 mark). “… Justin’s gonna
have his time and Justin’s gonna have a great career, but right now
it’s my time and so right now my focus is on being the best player I can be for
this team and do everything I can to help this team win.”

While the Bears’ brass has remained
steadfast in Dalton’s status as the projected starter, head coach
Matt Nagy said Monday the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft
would get more practice time with the first-team playmakers as part
of the “evaluation process.”

Before Chicago drafted Fields, it
signed Dalton to a one-year, $10 million contract in free agency.
When he was introduced, he confirmed the team had promised him the
starting role.

“They told me I was the starter,”
Dalton said in March. “That was one of the reasons why I wanted to
come here. So every conversation I’ve had has been that, so that’s
the assurance that I’ve gotten.”

In turn, it’s unclear whether there’s anything
the 22-year-old Ohio State product could do during training camp and
the preseason to get the Bears to reverse course and name him the
Week 1 starter.

Fields said after his debut against the
Dolphins he’s trying to “make the most” of every opportunity he’s
given without thinking about when he’ll be handed the keys to the
offense for good.

“I think when you look too far
into the future, you start worrying about way too much stuff,”
Fields told reporters. “You start thinking too much in your
head.”

If the Bears stay the course and let
Dalton handled the starting job to open the 2021 season, the veteran likely won’t have much room for failure. The calls from fans in
favor of Fields will grow louder with each passing loss or poor performance from the offense.

Chicago faces the Buffalo Bills on
Saturday before closing out the preseason Aug. 28 against the
Tennessee Titans. It opens the regular season on Sept. 12 at the Los Angeles Rams.