Report: Patriots Didn't Pursue Free Agent QB Andy Dalton
BOSTON (CBS) -- Further adding to the notion that the Patriots are OK with Jarrett Stidham taking over for the departed Tom Brady, the team did not try to sign recently released quarterback Andy Dalton.
Dalton, released by the Cincinnati Bengals last week, signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys over the weekend. Five teams went after Dalton on the free agent market, but the Patriots were not one of them, according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.
"Per a source with knowledge of the situation, five teams pursued Dalton. None provided a direct path to a starting job in 2020. (This implies that the Patriots weren't one of the five.)," Florio wrote in his Sunday mailbag. "Dalton decided to go to the best team with the best chance to compete for a championship in 2020."
The cap-strapped Patriots have not made a significant move at quarterback since Brady left for Tampa Bay earlier this offseason. They did not draft a QB with any of their 10 selections at the 2020 NFL Draft, only adding a pair of undrafted free agents. New England appears set to enter the 2020 season with Stidham and veteran Brian Hoyer competing for the starting job.
