Frogs in the Pros: Andy Dalton travels across the pond

TCU fans saw a familiar face on the football field Sunday morning, with former Horned Frog quarterback Andy Dalton earning the start for the New Orleans Saints during the team’s London matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Dalton played well while filling in for injured starter Jameis Winston, completing 20-of-28 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown as the Saints fell just short in a 28-25 loss to the Vikings on Sunday.

Dalton signed a one-year contract worth as much as $6 million with the Saints over the offseason, bringing the 2011 second-rounder in for his 12th NFL season. The former TCU signal called spent nine seasons with the Bengals before serving as the backup quarterback for Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. Dalton signed with the Chicago Bears last season, opening the season as the starter before first-round pick Justin Fields took over.

With over 35,000 career passing yards and 227 touchdowns for his career, Dalton has the experience and credentials necessary to be a viable quarterback in the NFL. While he may not command the starting role at this stage of his career, the 34-year-old could see more first-team reps for the Saints this season as Winston deals with a back injury that reportedly includes four fractured vertebrae. The injury has seemingly affected Winston, who has thrown five interceptions and been sacked 11 times over the early part of this season.