Andy Dalton Vs. Marcus Mariota: Factors to Consider
The two most logical routes for the Chicago Bears for a backup quarterback to challenge Mitchell Trubisky are Andy Dalton in a trade or Marcus Mariota in free agency.
All other options might be too expensive or simply do not fit the model general manager Ryan Pace described, with Trubisky as starter for the beginning of the 2020 season.
A simple comparison of the two options from a pro and con standpoints shows a decision of this type will largely hinge on the money because it isn't a clear choice.
Andy Dalton
Cincinnati's quarterback for nine seasons, he had a 70-61-2 record starting to go with an 87.5 passer rating, 62% completions and 7.1 yards per pass attempt. He threw 204 touchdowns to 118 interceptions in 133 career starts.
Pros
Dalton is a proven NFL a passer and led a team to four straight playoff berths. He has achieved individual success with three Pro Bowl appearances and put up some prodigious passing number at times, including 8.4 yards per pass attempt in 2015, and two seasons of 4,000 yards passing. He has played in an RPO style offense, not entirely similar to the one the Bears have run but close enough to help so he'd pick it up quickly. His coordinator in Cincinnati for two years was new Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and Dalton has said he enjoyed working under Lazor. While it's possible the Bears might need to pay him more as a nine-year veteran, they also may have a better chance of getting him on a shorter-term, prove-it type of deal than Mariota, who might want more job security at age 26.
Cons
He's 33 years old this season and he's not a free agent. It may cost the Bears a draft pick to obtain him, although it's possible the Bengals will simply cut him because there is no dead cash hit involved. It may cost the Bears more to sign Dalton to a new contract because he averaged $16 million over his last deal. Dalton led those playoff teams in his first four years in the league and he lost all four playoff games he played. Since then his numbers have gradually tailed off and the team's overall performance plummeted. Dalton had a tremendous group of receivers over the years, including AJ Green, Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert and Mohammad Sanu, yet never got back to the playoffs after those first four years. He's often been criticized for an inability to properly handle the pass rush—he'll turn into it instead of sensing the heat to run away from it.
Marcus Mariota
He's bigger than Dalton at 6-4, 222 pounds, Mariota is 26 years old. He has an 89.6 career passer rating and has completed 62% of his passes, while averaging 7.5 career yards per attempt. This included four years when he was at 7.5 or higher. He threw 76 touchdowns to 44 interceptions in 63 games, including 61 starts.
Pros
When he got in the 2018 playoffs, Mariota won a road game at Arrowhead Stadium. He helped rally the Titans from a 21-3 deficit to win before a 35-14 loss at New England. He possesses experience in the Bears' style of offense, playing in an RPO attack throughout his college career at Oregon under former Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. While not quite the scrambler Mitchell Trubisky was in his first two seasons, Mariota nonetheless is far more adept at escaping a pass rush than Dalton. He ran for 252, 349, 312 and 357 yards in his first four full seasons before being benched with 129 yards after his sixth start of 2019. Mariota never had even an average group of receivers to throw to in Tennessee. Has 11 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter are similar on average to Dalton's 24 for nine years, but he had a league-high four in 2017.
Cons
The Titans have been sixth or better in rushing in the NFL for three of the last four years but Mariota has been unable to win with this asset. While he consistently achieved passer ratings in the 90s, he never had a breakthrough past 95.6, which is close to Trubisky's best. He isn't necessarily known for a good touch on long passes like Dalton has consistently displayed. However, he did take a drastic step upward at this in 2017 and 2018, going from 43.6% in 2016 on throws of 15 air yards or more to 62.4% and staying at 61.7% in 2018. He could have some sort of lingering injury issues that need to be checked. In 2018, he had an ulnar nerve injury, a neck stinger, a cracked vertebra, a plantar fascia tear, a strained oblique, a broken rib and an AC joint sprain in as the Titans' pass blocking broke down. He played through those injuries.
Bottom Line
Do they want to go with a younger guy who might be more of a bargain because he hasn't achieved much, or an older, more accomplished passer who hasn't done much lately?
To me the one who requires less in return should be the answer. Mariota, makes more sense because he'd be cheaper and there is no compensation to the Titans involved. If Dalton becomes a free agent and is willing to sign for less, then he should get the nod.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
