Frogs in the Pros: Andy Dalton to sign with Carolina Panthers

The Red Rifle will continue his career as a hired gun, acting as a top-tier veteran presence in a QB room and stepping in to provide quality starts when called upon. Andy Dalton became a free agent after a single season with the New Orleans Saints, where he started 14 games in the 2022 season, completing 67% of passes for 2,871 yards and 18 touchdowns. It was reported Tuesday that he’d be moving within the NFC South as the Carolina Panthers signed the 12-year veteran to a two-year contract with $8 Million guaranteed

Dalton was a four-year starter in Fort Worth, winning 42 games and leading the Horned Frogs to two BCS games including a victory in the Rose Bowl following the 2010 season. While at TCU, Dalton amassed 10,314 passing yards with a 71-30 TD-INT ratio, adding 1,611 rushing yards with 22 TDs on the ground.

Dalton was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2nd Round of the 2011 NFL Draft, where he started for nine seasons and led the franchise to the Playoffs in his first five seasons. He then spent one season each with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints. For his NFL career, Dalton has accumulated 39,615 total yards and 266 total TDs.

The Carolina Panthers recently traded for the #1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, presumably to select a Quarterback of the future. With the addition of Dalton, the franchise has its QB of the present to support new Head Coach Frank Reich during the transition as the whichever rookie QB is selected gets up to speed in the NFL.