The Dallas Cowboys agreed to a one-year deal with quarterback Andy Dalton on Saturday and created a Twitter uproar. Even ex-Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant got in on it Sunday, calling the signing “out of line.”
Are we serious? Do people actually think the Cowboys signing Dalton to a one-year deal means that Prescott is in a fight to keep his job as QB1?
Here’s what fans, both of the Cowboys and NFL, need to know about the quarterback competition in Dallas — there isn’t one.
The two simply are not related. Dalton is guaranteed merely $3 million, with the opportunity to make $7 million. That’s not starting quarterback money, that’s insurance policy money.
Nevermind the fact that Dalton hasn’t come close to Prescott’s production since the 26-year-old entered the league. The two-way threat Prescott is 40-26 in his first four seasons, coming off career highs in passing yards and touchdowns. Daltons (70-61-2 career record) was 2-11 in 13 games last season before being cut by Cincinnati.
The Cowboys simply agreed to a short-term, cheap and well-worth-it deal. Dalton could, in all seriousness, give the Cowboys the best starter-backup situation in the NFL.
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And while the backup isn’t exactly a prized possession to fans, NFL teams know the impact.
Could you imagine if the New Orleans Saints didn’t have Teddy Bridgewater when Drew Brees went down in 2019? The Saints won each of those five games because they had one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL. And even a short term note, could the season have played out differently for Kansas City if backup Matt Moore didn’t earn a win over the Minnesota Vikings while the Chiefs were without starter Patrick Mahomes Week 9? While you may think that’s drastic, that one game impacted both a first-round bye, playoff matchups, etc.
The point is, a backup quarterback is not something to overlook. First-year Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy simply saw Dalton as an upgrade to previous Dallas backup Cooper Rush and jumped on it.
But Prescott likely will be the No. 1 in Dallas come 2020.
