Saints sign QB Dalton to 1-year, $6M deal

Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton and the New Orleans Saints have agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract that includes $3 million guaranteed.

Dalton is expected to play the backup role after former Saints quarterback Trevor Siemian signed with the Chicago Bears in free agency.

New Orleans declared Jameis Winston the starting quarterback earlier this offseason and re-signed him to a two-year, $28 million deal after Deshaun Watson decided to pass on the Saints in favor of the Cleveland Browns.

Winston is currently rehabilitating an ACL injury he suffered in Week 8 of the 2021 season and Dalton may have an opportunity to start if Winston has delays in his rehab schedule.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen confirmed that utility player Taysom Hill will discontinue most of his quarterback responsibilities and focus primarily as a tight end.

"I think the role for Taysom really is going to be a lot more of the kind of tight end, move tight end type of role. I think that's the direction that we need to move with him, because I think he can be one of the better players in the league in that role," Allen said during the NFL meetings in Palm Beach, Florida. "So if Jameis is out there playing quarterback, I don't really like having Taysom next to me on the sideline. And so I think you'll see him more in that type of role."

Dalton, 34, has embraced the veteran backup role after nine years in Cincinnati as the Bengals starting quarterback. He joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 as the backup quarterback to Dak Prescott and in 2021 the Bears signed Dalton as the offseason starting quarterback before drafting Justin Fields in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Dalton started six games last season for the Bears after Fields was ruled out due to injuries. He completed 63.1 percent of 236 attempts for 1,515 yards with nine interceptions and a career-low eight touchdowns.

Over the course of his 11-year career, Dalton has thrown for 35,279 yards with 226 touchdown passes and 135 interceptions.