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Despite not having led an NFL team to a winning record since the 2015 season, 35-year-old quarterback Andy Dalton believes he’s still a starting caliber signal caller in the league.
Now in Carolina serving as the backup to flashy Panthers rookie signal-caller Bryce Young, Dalton is maintaining the mindset that he’s still capable of being a starter in the NFL.
“I view myself as a starter in this league; I don’t think there are 32 guys better than me,” Dalton told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “But this is the situation I am in, and I understand that. As soon as I don’t think I’m one of the best 32, or a little lower, I’ll be watching football on TV.”
Despite his blind belief in himself, Dalton acknowledges that he’s comfortable with his current situation of likely being a backup QB for the rest of his career.
“I am in a really, really good situation here; Frank Reich played til he was 38. He was a career backup. He understands the continuity you want in a [quarterback] room. Josh McCown played until he was 40. Josh was my friend for the last 10 years, and now he’s my coach.”
With the Panthers not only spending the #1 overall pick on Young but trading away assets to acquire the pick from the Chicago Bears, they’ll surely be doing everything they can to make sure that Young is ready to be the team’s starter as soon as the season begins, especially considering how seemingly wide open the NFC South is.
Given the questions about Young’s size, and therefore his eventual durability in the NFL, prior to his selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, there’s a chance that Dalton could get more game time this year than Panthers fans would like to see.
Dalton and the Carolina Panthers will be opening their season on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.