Andy Dalton

The Bengals have moved in a different direction at quarterback after taking Joe Burrow with the first overall pick of last week's NFL Draft.

Attempts to trade Dalton, 32, have not come to fruition, so the team have opted to make him a free agent rather than play out the last year of his contract.

The move almost certainly means Burrow will start Week 1 at QB and ends suggestions the team could retain Dalton in a backup role.

Speculation has connected Dalton with the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars, as he joins former NFL MVP Cam Newton among the top signal callers available on the open market.

Dalton had a winning record as the Bengals' QB, going 70-61-2 in the regular season while throwing 204 touchdowns to 118 interceptions.

But the 2011 second-round pick was unable to end the franchise's long wait for a playoff win, their last having come in 1990.

The Bengals have moved in a different direction at quarterback after taking Joe Burrow with the first overall pick of last week's NFL Draft.

Attempts to trade Dalton did not come to fruition, so the team have opted to make him a free agent rather than play out the last year of his contract. The 32-year-old, who spent nine years with the Bengals, was slated to earn $17.7 million this season.

"Andy will always hold a special place with this franchise, and I know that he holds a special place in my heart," Brown said in a statement.

"This is a hard day for our club because we know and appreciate what a consummate professional Andy has always been. We respect and appreciate Andy, and we thank him."

The move almost certainly means Burrow will start Week 1 and ends suggestions the team could retain Dalton in a backup role.

Speculation has connected Dalton with the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars, as he joins former NFL MVP Cam Newton among the top signal callers available on the open market.

"I'm really happy for Andy. I think [the Bengals] did the right thing for him and he's got a chance to continue his career," former Bengals QB Ken Anderson added.

"I think it's the best thing for everybody. It's the Joe Burrow era now."

Dalton had a winning record as the Bengals' QB, going 70-61-2 in the regular season while throwing 204 touchdowns to 118 interceptions.

He holds Cincinnati's franchise record for passing touchdowns and his 87.5 passer rating is the highest by a Bengals quarterback with at least 25 starts with the team.

The 2011 second-round pick led the Bengals to the playoffs in each of his first five seasons but was unable to end the franchise's long wait for a playoff win, their last having come in 1990.

"If you had told me there was this quarterback in the second round from TCU that's going to the playoffs the first five years, I'd say sign me up. No Bengals quarterback ever did that," Anderson said.

Dalton's career peaked in 2015, when he led the AFC with a 106.3 passer rating and helped Cincinnati to a 12-4 record and an AFC North title. Both he and the Bengals began to decline thereafter, however.

Cincinnati have recorded four straight losing seasons, while Dalton was benched in favour of rookie Ryan Finley for three games during the Bengals' 2-14 campaign in 2019, a record which put them in position to select Burrow with the first overall pick.

The Bears scrapped to a 16-14 victory against the winless Lions on Thursday amid uncertainty over Nagy's future in Chicago.

Nagy had to answer questions about his future this week, following reports he had been told his final game would be against the Lions (0-10).

But after snapping a five-game skid, Nagy savoured Chicago's result as the Bears improved to 4-7.

"When there's distractions, which is in every sport, in all facets of life, there's always going to be distractions," Nagy told reporters.

"It's how you handle them. And again, we got the win today, and it could've went a lot of different ways. But the reason why we got the win is because of how they handled the distractions, you know? That's where to me, when you're in this business and you lead people, it's my job to make sure of honest and open communication.

"That's where, for me, I just can't tell you how much this win means today to me because of what they did."

Chicago's defence allowed a season-low 239 total yards and just 14 first downs against Detroit.

Andy Dalton fuelled the Bears with a touchdown on 24-of-39 passing for 317 yards – his 30th 300-yard career passing game and the most yards by a Chicago quarterback since November 2020.

"Again, for me, there is only my understanding, which is what it's been since the day I signed up to be this coach, is to win as many games as I can possibly win, and do it the right way," Nagy added.

"When you lose five games in a row, you understand. When you're 3-7, you know what territory it can get to. You know what I mean? That comes with the job. I knew that four years ago when I took this, and so here we are. Every week is a little bit different.

"This one was definitely different. This is one of those weeks where you use it moving forward. You don't make any predictions, but what you do is when you go home on that plane tonight and everyone's having a good time because they're able to celebrate and have fun watching the tape and enjoy their Thanksgiving and get back to being healthy and understand what games are next, but the only game that matters is Arizona coming up.

"That's it. So again, for me, the only thing I can say to those players is that I appreciate them and we have a hell of a group of guys, players and coaches, and they showed it today by getting a win."

Bears coach Matt Nagy had to answer questions about his future this week, but he was boosted by a trip to Detroit to play Goff and the winless Lions in Thursday's early game.

Goff – back after an oblique injury – is now 0-16-1 when not coached by McVay, having gone 42-20 in their four years together with the Los Angeles Rams, and this was another outing to forget.

Although a matchup between the teams ranked 29th and 30th for points per game heading into the week was never likely to be a classic, it started well for Goff when he connected with Josh Reynolds on a 39-yard touchdown.

D'Andre Swift soon went down with a shoulder problem to check Detroit's momentum, however, and Cairo Santos' field goal got the Bears on the board before two Andy Dalton passes broke the game open late in the half, as he threw 52 yards to Darnell Mooney and then 17 yards to Jimmy Graham up the middle for a TD.

That was quickly followed by a Goff fumble – his eighth of the year and the fifth he has lost – and the Lions continued to struggle to move the chains even after an Amani Oruwariye interception, instead allowing Santos to stretch Chicago's lead before half-time.

But Goff's work through the air was much improved and a patient third-quarter drive ended with a pass to T. J. Hockenson to edge the Lions in front.

The hosts came close to their first win of the season but were ultimately thwarted by the boot of Santos as Chicago's final drive led to a successful 28-yard field goal in the final seconds.

Bears coach Matt Nagy had to answer questions about his future this week, but he was boosted by a trip to Detroit to play Goff and the winless Lions in Thursday's early game.

Goff – back after an oblique injury – is now 0-16-1 when not coached by McVay, having gone 42-20 in their four years together with the Los Angeles Rams, and this was another outing to forget.

Although a matchup between the teams ranked 29th and 30th for points per game heading into the week was never likely to be a classic, it started well for Goff when he connected with Josh Reynolds on a 39-yard touchdown.

D'Andre Swift soon went down with a shoulder problem to check Detroit's momentum, however, and Cairo Santos' field goal got the Bears on the board before two Andy Dalton passes broke the game open late in the half, as he threw 52 yards to Darnell Mooney and then 17 yards to Jimmy Graham up the middle for a TD.

That was quickly followed by a Goff fumble – his eighth of the year and the fifth he has lost – and the Lions continued to struggle to move the chains even after an Amani Oruwariye interception, instead allowing Santos to stretch Chicago's lead before half-time.

But Goff's work through the air was much improved and a patient third-quarter drive ended with a pass to T. J. Hockenson to edge the Lions in front.

The hosts came close to their first win of the season but were ultimately thwarted by the boot of Santos as Chicago's final drive led to a successful 28-yard field goal in the final seconds.

NFL Network reported the short turnaround ahead of the trip to Detroit to face the Lions likely will keep Fields out of action, though Bears head coach Matt Nagy said Monday the team was still "gathering facts". 

Rookie QB Fields got pummelled by the Baltimore Ravens defence in a 16-13 defeat Sunday, leaving in the third quarter with rib problems. 

He had completed just four of 11 passes for 79 yards at the time. Dalton came on in relief and completed 11 of 23 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. 

Nagy acknowledged there could be a "safety issue" playing Fields against the Lions but remained vague about the team's plans. 

"‘We always want to make sure that we’re not putting our players at more risk, regardless of who you are," Nagy told reporters Monday.

"Obviously, there’s more magnitude to everybody else — and to us — with Justin. And being the quarterback and touching the football every play and throwing and that sort of thing. So we’ll have to keep that in mind.’’

Quarterback shuffling has been a season-long theme for the Bears (3-7), as the veteran Dalton started the first two games of the season before suffering a knee injury.

Sunday marked only his second appearance since then, as the 22-year-old Fields has had mixed results but generally shown improvement while settling into the starting role. 

The 11th overall pick in this year's draft threw for a career-best 291 yards in Chicago's previous game, a 29-27 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The Lions (0-9-1) also are expected to be without their starting QB, as Jared Goff continues to deal with an oblique injury that kept him out of Sunday's 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. 

Tim Boyle likely will start again in Goff's place in the Lions' annual Thanksgiving Day showcase. 

Bears head coach Matt Nagy has turned to the rookie after veteran QB Andy Dalton (knee) was downgraded to doubtful for Week 4 of the NFL season.

There was some doubt over first-year quarterback Fields due a hand injury, but he will line up under center for the Bears (1-2) at home to the winless Lions (0-3).

The number 11 pick in the NFL Draft, Fields has the chance to bounce back from an underwhelming start to life in the NFL.

In last week's 26-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns as Dalton sat out, Fields was sacked nine times and held to just six of 20 passing for 68 yards and 12 rushing yards on three attempts.

"This week's practice compared to last week's practice, I felt just more comfortable at practice just kind of getting that under my belt and getting kind of past that," Fields said.

"Last week, you really can't get worse than that. I mean, I hope not. But I felt comfortable this week."

Chicago finished their defeat against the Browns with one net passing yard. It was the fewest net passing yards for the Bears in a game since negative-20 passing yards in 1981 against the Lions.

"Justin's game that he played last week, he did a lot of things that he's going to learn from," Nagy said. "But we also, and myself, have to help him. I think the biggest thing for him is, 'OK, here's how I was in the week of practice. Here's how I was on game day, both physically and mentally. Now how am I going to be heading into this week? Am I getting better? Is there improvement? Am I getting better at the things I was good at? Am I getting better at the things that I wasn't so good at?'

"And that's what we're doing as coaches throughout the week of practice, is being able to watch him and see that. I can say from last week to this week that you do see that advancement. That there, knowing and feeling how he practiced, is why I would answer it that way."

The Cardinals led 35-17 before the Saints scored two fourth-quarter TDs through Dalton passes, but the damage was done as Arizona improved to 3-4 at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Arizona QB Kyler Murray, who was seen shouting at head coach Kliff Kingsbury in the second quarter, completed 20 of 29 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions, along with 30 rushing yards. DeAndre Hopkins sparked his side, returning from suspension for the first time this season for 103 yards from 10 catches.

Cardinals running backs Eno Benjamin, who had 12 carries for 92 yards, and rookie Keaontay Ingram both scored TDs.

The story of the game was Saints QB Dalton, starting for the fourth straight game in Jameis Winston's absence due to a back injury. 

Dalton had thrown only one interception in his previous three starts, but gave away three, including two pick-sixes to Marco Wilson and Isaiah Simmons. He had 30-of-47 passing for 361 yards with four touchdowns, connecting with Juwan Johnson for two of them, but the three interceptions hurt.

The Saints had gone ahead early when Dalton found Rashid Shaheed with a 53-yard TD pass, but the Cardinals worked their way back with 25 second-quarter points. Ingram powered his way in for a TD, before Wilson swooped on Marquez Callaway's tip ball, followed by Simmons' interception return from the 40-yard line.

The game marked the Cardinals' first 40-plus-point game since January 1 2017, breaking the longest streak in the NFL of 87 games.

Following reports, the Cowboys announced an agreement with Dalton on a one-year deal following his departure from the Bengals.

The deal for Dalton is reportedly worth a guaranteed $3million and could be worth up to $7m.  

Dalton spent nine seasons with the Bengals and helped lead them to the playoffs five times before he was released on Thursday after Cincinnati selected Joe Burrow with the top overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Dalton posted a 70-61-2 regular-season record as Cincinnati's starting quarterback, but the Bengals have not won a playoff game since 1990.  

In Dallas, Dalton will serve as backup to Dak Prescott – who was given the franchise tag by the Cowboys earlier this offseason. 

Dallas are still trying to come to a long-term contract agreement with Prescott.  

Dalton – the Bengals' career leader in touchdown passes and a three-time Pro Bowler – already has a home in Dallas and played in college at nearby TCU.  

Dallas were blown away by Washington in the second half of Thursday's showdown – the Cowboys outscored 24-3 after the visitors scored 21 unanswered points in the final period.

The Cowboys have now allowed at least 20 points in all 11 games this season, surpassing a pair of 10-game streaks (2013-14 and 1962-63) as the new longest run in the team's history, per NFL Research.

Dallas also suffered their second largest Thanksgiving defeat, following the 27-0 rout against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1989, via Stats Perform.

While it was a day to forget for the struggling Cowboys (3-8), Washington (4-7) gained sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

Antonio Gibson carried the offensive load for Washington, finishing with 115 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys in Dallas.

Gibson became the first rookie since at least 1948 to have three rushing TDs in a Thanksgiving game – joining DeMarco Murray, Emmitt Smith (twice) and Barry Sanders as the only players to do so in the past 40 years, per NFL Research.

The 22-year-old – the only rookie in Washington's history to have a rushing TD in five consecutive games – is also the first player with 100-plus rushing yards and three-plus rushing touchdowns on Thanksgiving since Sanders in 1997, according to Stats Perform.

Washington quarterback Alex Smith was 19-of-26 passing for 149 yards, one touchdown, an interception and three sacks, while Cowboys counterpart Andy Dalton finished 25 of 35 for 215 yards, a TD and one interception.

In the earlier game, the Houston Texans made light work of the Detroit Lions 41-25.

Texans QB DeShaun Watson made his first career start on Thanksgiving and tossed four touchdowns in the comprehensive victory.

Watson joined Tony Romo (2006) as the only quarterbacks with 300-plus passing yards, four-plus passing TDs and 0 interceptions in their first Thanksgiving starts since at least 1948, via NFL Research.

Houston's Watson was 17 of 25 for 318 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, helping the Texans improve to 4-7 as the Lions fell to the same record.

Lions signal-caller Matthew Stafford finished 28 of 42 for 295 yards, one touchdown, one interception and four sacks in Detroit.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, NFL franchise the Cowboys signed Dalton to a one-year deal after his Cincinnati exit.

The deal is reportedly worth a guaranteed $3million and could be worth up to $7m.  

Dalton spent nine seasons with the Bengals and helped lead them to the playoffs five times before he was released on Thursday after Cincinnati drafted quarterback Joe Burrow with the top overall pick in last month's draft.  

Dalton posted a 70-61-2 regular-season record as Cincinnati's starting QB, but the Bengals have not won a playoff game since 1990.  

In Dallas, Dalton will serve as backup to Dak Prescott – who was given the franchise tag by the Cowboys earlier this offseason. 

Dallas are still trying to come to a long-term contract agreement with Prescott.  

Dalton – the Bengals' career leader in touchdown passes and a three-time Pro Bowler – already has a home in Dallas and played in college at nearby TCU.  

Dalton has signed a one-year deal reportedly worth $10million with Chicago, who had been linked with a blockbuster trade for Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson during the offseason.  

Nick Foles is already at the Bears, though Mitchell Trubisky's time with the franchise has come to an end after he joined the Buffalo Bills in free agency.  

"They told me I was the starter," Dalton said during his introductory news conference on Thursday. "That was one of the reasons why I wanted to come here.   

"Every conversation I've had has been that, so that's the assurance that I've gotten.   

"I had several options and I felt like this was the best fit for me. When you hear that you're going to be the starter, that's an enticing pitch."

Dalton spent the 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys, initially serving as back-up to Dak Prescott.  

However, he was thrust into a starting role when Prescott suffered a season-ending leg injury against the New York Giants in Week 5.  

Dalton went on to throw for 2,169 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games – his completion percentage of 64.9 just above a career number of 62.2. He did miss time, though, due to a concussion and also contracting coronavirus.  

He was selected with the 35th pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011 and, during his nine seasons there, he threw for 33,763 yards, putting him second on the team's all-time list for passers.  

Now the three-time Pro Bowler will aim to solve a problematic position for the Bears, who traded up to draft Trubisky second overall in 2017, ahead of both Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.  

Chicago finished the 2020 campaign with an 8-8 record, good enough for second spot in the NFC North and a playoff berth. However, they were beaten 21-9 by the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round.  

"This was definitely the place I wanted to be," Dalton said of his new home. "I'm glad this whole thing worked out.  

"At this point in my career, you want to join a team that is competitive, that is doing things the right way, is trending in the right direction, and to get a chance to come in and start for a team like this, that's a great opportunity for me and for my future and my career and everything."

Quarterback Dalton left the Bengals in 2020 after spending nine years with the team. He is Cincinnati's all-time passing touchdown leader (204).

The 34-year-old spent the 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys before heading to Chicago and the Bears last year. He is now at the New Orleans Saints, and with Jameis Winston questionable due to back and ankle injuries, is expected to start in the Week 6 clash against his old team.

Having helped the Cowboys and the Bears to wins over the Bengals over the past two seasons, Dalton could become the fourth QB since 1950 to go 3-0 or better against the team he was drafted by.

Joe Burrow replaced Dalton in Cincinnati and was the key to their charge to the Super Bowl last season.

Burrow has completed at least 60 per cent of his passes in 22 successive regular-season games, which ties him level with Steve Young for the second-longest streak in NFL history behind Drew Brees, who went 31 straight between 2018 and 2020.

The Bengals are 4-2 all-time on the road against the Saints, their second-best road record against a single opponent, yet in Taysom Hill they face a player who made history last week. 

In New Orleans' 39-32 win over the Seattle Seahawks, Hill became the first player in the league to rush for 100+ yards on 10+ yards per carry, rush for three or more touchdowns and also throw a TD pass in the same game.

Winston injured his back in the Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons and initially played through the pain barrier in the following two games.

He was eventually sidelined to allow him to recover, with Dalton, signed as a backup to Winston, starting under center after the Saints' attempts to bring in Deshaun Watson were unsuccessful.

Allen explained his reasoning for sticking with Dalton, telling reporters: "Andy's gonna get the start again this week [against the Las Vegas Raiders.

"I feel like he's played well. Offensively, I feel like we're in a little bit of a rhythm. We've been moving the ball effectively, we've scored points. And so we're gonna continue down that road with Andy as the quarterback."

This season, Dalton has completed on 63.4 per cent of his passes for 946 yards and seven touchdowns, while he has been sacked four times and been intercepted four times.

Last time out against the Arizona Cardinals, a game the Saints lost, Dalton threw for 361 yards and four touchdowns but also conceded three interceptions – two of which were returned for touchdowns.

However, Allen said he was looking for offensive continuity in the coming weeks.

"What I mean by that is in the last four weeks, we're one of the top offenses in terms of moving the ball, we're one of the top offenses in terms of scoring points," he added.  "And that's really the name of the game. So, we're gonna continue doing what we've been doing.

"We've gotta do a better job of protecting the football. And if we do that, I think we can be highly effective offensively."

Allen said Dalton will keep his position over a fully fit Winston as long as the team remain coherent with the ball in hand.

"Well, look, Jameis is back healthy right now. We're gonna go with Andy as we sit here right now. And if we continue to play well offensively and move the ball offensively, Andy will stay in there," Allen said.

"There's a lot of things that we're doing really well offensively. And I didn't feel like there was any need to upset the apple cart there. We'll keep going how we are. And if we continue to do that, then we'll stay the course."

The Saints (2-5) sit bottom of the NFC South and will look to ignite life into their season against the Raiders on Sunday.

"I lost my job due to injury, and the policy has always been you don’t lose your job due to injury," he said. "That’s what happened."

Winston started the first three games of the season for the Saints, but reportedly suffered four fractures in his back in the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.  

Although he says he is healthy enough now to return to the field, coach Dennis Allen decided to stick with veteran Andy Dalton for the eighth consecutive game Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. 

"I’m going to support Andy, I’m going to support this offense, I’m going to support everyone on this offensive staff the best I possibly can, and that’s it," Winston said. "Because, like I said, I wear that shirt that says 'Big team, little me' even though it hurts my heart. It hurts my soul the way things have turned out to be this year, but it is what it is." 

Allen said earlier this week that he does not think Winston will return to 100 percent this season, which is likely part of the reason why Dalton has remained the starter. He hinted earlier this week that he was considering a change at quarterback due to offensive struggle, but ultimately decided against it.  

Neither quarterback has separated himself from the other in terms of effectiveness. 

Winston completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 858 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions as the Saints went 1-2 in his three starts. 

Dalton, meanwhile, has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,559 yards and thrown 11 TDs with seven picks. New Orleans are 2-5 in his seven games. 

"I owe it to this team to be in the role that I’m in right now, to this offense, to everyone," Winston said. "I apologise to the fans. I know some of them went to see me out there. But I think winning makes a lot of things better, so we need to go out there and start with this week, get a win as a team." 

After selecting Joe Burrow with the top pick in the NFL Draft, the Bengals released Dalton on Thursday, ending his nine seasons in Cincinnati.

Dalton has been linked with the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars and the 32-year-old is upbeat about his future.

"I'm going to check out all my options and make the best decision for me and my family," he told the Bengals' website.

"It's going to work out."

The Bengals unsurprisingly took Burrow with the top pick in the draft last month after his stellar season with LSU.

Dalton said he always planned to congratulate Burrow, who threw 60 touchdown passes for LSU last season.

"I knew they were going to take Joe. Regardless whether I was on the team or not, I would have reached out," he said.

"He had a great college career and he went number one and I just wanted to give him my congratulations on him getting drafted where he did. And tell him he's going to a good team."

There was little surprise on the opening day of the NFL Draft when the Bengals selected Burrow as the number one overall pick after his record-breaking season with LSU.

Taylor said the expectation is Burrow will compete to be the team's first choice QB, though was non-committal when asked if he will be the opening-day starter for the team.

Burrow is ready to compete with Dalton, who has been with the Bengals since 2011.

"That's [competing to start] exactly how I expect to do it as well," Burrow told local reporters on a teleconference call.

"I'm going to come in and compete and try to be the best player I can be."

There will be plenty of eyes on Burrow after being selected first, yet the man himself says he would have applied the same internal pressure wherever he went in the draft.

"I mean, for me, it doesn't matter where you get picked," Burrow added. 

"I could have been the 189th pick, I could be number one. I'm going to work the exact same and try to be the best quarterback I can be for this city."

In the Bengals, Burrow has joined a team that has endured four straight losing seasons and went 2-14 in 2019.

Indeed, the franchise has not won a playoff game since the 1990 season and Burrow is well aware of the expectation from a hungry fanbase.

"I'm on social media like all us young people, so I see it and I'm hoping – I don't want to say 'hope' – I'm going to work as hard as I can to bring winning to Cincinnati," he said. 

"And I know the people around me will as well. The culture that coach Taylor is building, I'm very excited about it.

"The thing about the NFL is there's good players everywhere. A couple injuries here or there can really change a season and change you from a playoff-calibre team to a 2-14 team. 

"So, we have what it takes. Whatever they need me to do, I'm going to do it. Hopefully I can bring something to the team that is positive and brings about wins."

Burrow threw a record 60 touchdowns and completed 76.3 per cent of his passes as he led LSU to the National Championship.

The next task is transitioning from college football to the demands of the NFL and Bengals head coach Taylor has no doubts Burrow has the ability to do just that.

"We selected him because we know he's going to be able to handle all of that," Taylor said. "It's just a matter of accumulating those reps as quickly as he can.

"He was a championship-calibre player in high school and college, and he's helped those teams play in the biggest game there was. 

"That expectation does not change now that he's a Bengal. We expect him to come in with that mindset. Everyone we bring in that building will be held to that standard.

"He has an earned confidence. It's a confidence he's earned because he put the work in. He's achieved success on the field with a National Championship. 

"I can tell he doesn't take that for granted. He knows that he has to continue to work even harder than he ever has before at this level. 

"There's new challenges he hasn't faced before. You can tell he's very comfortable in his own skin, and comfortable with what we're asking him to do."

There have been new names, new deals, new feuds, old feuds...

Now the 2021 season is on the horizon, but not every situation at the sport's most important position has reached a satisfactory conclusion.

There are intriguing QB scenarios to keep an eye on for plenty of teams this season, as Stats Perform explores.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Let's start with a rookie. While fellow first-round picks Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Mac Jones are set for starting roles, Trey Lance has a fight on his hands with the 49ers.

Lance is raw, having played just 19 college games in the FCS, and is set to begin the season behind Jimmy Garoppolo – fit again after becoming one of a remarkable number San Francisco players to suffer with injuries last year, unable to follow up their Super Bowl run.

But Lance's dual-threat ability gives Kyle Shanahan a new dynamic, as evidenced by his 14 rushing touchdowns in 2019 with North Dakota State. Garoppolo has only two career rushing scores.

That is likely to initially put the ball in Lance's hands in the red zone, where his legs should help improve a red zone efficiency of 53.2 per cent from the 2019 season, when a fully fit Niners team ranked 21st in the NFL.

By the end of the year, though, the 21-year-old will undoubtedly be keen for a bigger role, increasing pressure on Garoppolo while the team try to maintain a title challenge.

CHICAGO BEARS

Justin Fields is the second first-round selection starting the year behind an established NFL QB in Andy Dalton.

"There's no need for us to rush Justin," said Bears general manager Ryan Pace last week, explaining they were "very confident" in Dalton. "I just think the more time [Fields] has to learn that and observe, the better off for him," Pace added.

But Fields, who threw for 63 TDs and rushed for a further 15 in two years at Ohio State, is undoubtedly a more realistic long-term solution than Dalton, on his third team in three years.

Fields, like Lance, can run, ranking fifth in the Power 5 among quarterbacks with 7.42 yards per carry last year, but the Bears also need improvement through the air, having ranked 22nd with 228.4 net passing yards per game in 2020.

While the departed Mitchell Trubisky neither threw nor ran the ball well – delivering an accurate, well-thrown ball on just 71.6 per cent of passes and averaging 1.81 yards per carry – Fields (80.18 well-thrown percentage) can do both if given the opportunity.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

It is not only the teams who have spent first-round picks on passers who have a battle under center, with the Saints able to consider two options to replace the great Drew Brees.

Jameis Winston threw only 11 passes in New Orleans last season after leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the versatile Taysom Hill preferred when Brees was out injured, making four starts at QB.

But Winston has been confirmed as the starter for the new campaign – at least for now. Whether Sean Payton is willing to stick with an entertaining yet erratic QB for a full season remains to be seen.

The 27-year-old became the first player ever to throw 30 TD passes and 30 interceptions in the same NFL season as the Bucs went 7-9 in 2019.

Winston's 10.70 air yards ranked second, yet his pickable pass percentage of 7.69 was second-worst among those with 100 attempts or more.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

While some teams have multiple reliable options at QB, the Eagles scarcely have one. Having moved on from Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts is their starter.

Last time out, in his rookie year, Hurts completed just 52.0 per cent of his passes – the worst rate of any QB with 100 or more attempts – and still could not quite keep up with the league's elite running QBs, averaging 6.00 yards per carry.

Yet Philadelphia's response was to trade out of the number six pick in this year's draft and then opt against taking either Fields or Jones, who remained on the board after they moved back up to 10.

Joe Flacco, now 36, is in as the back-up, while a "fired up" Gardner Minshew has arrived from the Jacksonville Jaguars after 37 TDs in two years but is set for a role as a third-stringer.

Unless Hurts makes significant strides, it is difficult to see how the Eagles will not again be in position to take one of the top college QBs in 2022.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers was at the centre of the most compelling offseason speculation surrounding a quarterback this offseason. However, the Green Bay Packers star was not the only former champion at the centre of offseason speculation this year, with Russell Wilson's agent informing ESPN of four trade destinations that would interest the Seahawks stalwart.

Seattle kept their man in the end, but Wilson will be looking for progress from last season, when he complained of "getting hit too much" – "a pretty normal reaction," according to coach Pete Carroll.

Wilson was in the MVP conversation for the first half of the year but was soon left exposed behind a poor offensive line, sacked 47 times to swell his career total to 394 – the most of any QB since he entered the league.

Although left tackle Duane Brown has missed practice as he waits on a contract extension – another development that has frustrated Wilson – the Seahawks have at least traded for guard Gabe Jackson. That move needs to work.

Wilson last year averaged 8.70 air yards while throwing a pickable pass at the sixth-lowest ratio in the NFL (2.64%), but he has to have help if Seattle are to succeed.

Carolina agreed to a one-year, $10million deal with Andy Dalton, according to multiple reports.

While it remains to be seen whom the Panthers will select after trading up to the first overall pick, Dalton gives them an experienced and reliable signal-caller who can hold the fort if the quarterback they take is not ready to start as a rookie.

Dalton spent last season with the New Orleans Saints and was quietly impressive in a campaign that saw him start 14 games.

He completed 66.7 per cent of his passes for 2,871 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. 

Those numbers do not reflect the accuracy he demonstrated. He delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 86.5 per cent of his passes, according to Stats Perform data, the second-best ratio among quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts.

The keys to the Panthers' offense will at some point be handed to one of C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson or Will Levis. Dalton provides Carolina a quarterback who can either keep the seat warm or serve as a high-floor backup if the new face of the franchise quickly ascends to the starting job.

Andy Dalton stepped into the role in Week 4, and under his leadership the Saints' offense was on fire, putting up scores of 25, 39, 26, 34 and 24 – before hitting a wall, only scoring a combined 23 points across the past two losses.

With a 3-7 record and coming off a poor 20-10 loss against the 3-6 Pittsburgh Steelers, Allen indicated Dalton was no longer locked into the starting role.

He told the media everything will be on the table when the Rams roll into town, including a change in quarterback.

"I think we've got to look at everything," Allen said. "Yeah, I think we've got to look at everything. That will be a process we go through today and tomorrow as we get ready for the Rams."

On Winston specifically, Allen said part of the decision will come down to if the medical staff believe he is healthy enough to contribute.

"I feel like I think we probably have to visit with him a little bit in terms of [his health], or visit with the medical staff in terms of that," he said.

"I think Jameis said this the other day, I don't know that he's ever going to be 100 per cent healthy this season. But he's in here every day, he's in here every morning working with the trainers, getting himself ready – and I feel like he's closer to being there.

"I don't think any decisions are made in a vacuum, but we've got to try to do what we feel like gives our team the best chance to win. So that's ultimately what the decision will come down to."

Dalton has thrown 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his seven starts, while Winston has four touchdowns and five picks in three starts.