Andy Dalton has signed a contract that essentially locks him into a backup role in 2020 barring an injury, and many were surprised that he didn’t pursue a better opportunity to start. Perhaps there was none available.
Jacksonville and New England were mentioned as two of the most likely landing spots for Dalton before he signed with the Dallas Cowboys. As Albert Breer of The MMQB noted on Sunday, the fact that Dalton “chose” the Cowboys was likely a product of the lack of interest from the Jaguars and Patriots.
Cowboys' signing of Andy Dalton should also contextualize the level of interest from the Jags and Pats, since both would've given him an easier path to playing time.
Neither showed the Bengals much in trade interest. And obviously Dalton coming free didn't change things.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 3, 2020
Some have wondered if the Cowboys signed Dalton as insurance in case Dak Prescott holds out, but that is reportedly not the case. The reality is the Patriots are committed to giving Jarrett Stidham a shot, and Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone already said Gardner Minshew is his top guy. If Jameis Winston was unable to find a starting job and Cam Newton is looking at potential backup roles as well, a backup role with a contending team was probably the best Dalton could do.
