Dalton says Bears assured him he'll be starting QB

Andy Dalton said Thursday the Chicago Bears committed to him as their starting quarterback before he signed his free-agent contract.

"They told me I was the starter," Dalton said Thursday, according to Chris Emma of 670 The Score. "That was one of the reasons I wanted to come here. ... That's the assurance I got."

Dalton joined the Bears on a one-year, $10-million deal after spending one season with the Dallas Cowboys, where he signed to serve as Dak Prescott's backup.

Chicago, which has been desperate for strong quarterback play for ages, cycled between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles last year. Foles remains on the Bears' roster, while Trubisky signed with the Buffalo Bills in free agency.

Dalton has 142 career starts under his belt, getting most of them with the Cincinnati Bengals, and he owns a lifetime passer rating of 87.5. He's taken five teams to the playoffs but has never won a postseason game.

"I'd love for this to be the last place I play," said Dalton, who played well for the Cowboys late in the season after previously struggling. "I'd love to finish my career here. ... I want to play really good football. I want to help this team win a lot of games. I want to bring some excitement to this city."

The Bears were a modest 8-8 last season, though they snuck into the playoffs for their second appearance in three years. Chicago hasn't won a postseason contest since the 2010 campaign.

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