Andy Dalton went turncloak as a free agent this spring, leaving the New Orleans Saints to sign a solid contract with the Carolina Panthers (which helps the Saints as far as 2024 compensatory draft picks are concerned, too). But Dalton shared a blunt assessment of the NFC South after getting a good look at it as the Saints’ surprise starting quarterback for much of the 2022 season.
“Nobody wanted to win the division last year the way it was going,” Dalton reflected, per Panthers beat reporter Joe Person.
That includes Dalton, apparently. He lost two of his three starts against NFC South opponents in a 17-16 road defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a season-ending 10-7 embarrassment at the hands of (who else?) Carolina, though he got the job done in a 21-18 win over the Atlanta Falcons. His efforts kept the Saints down-but-not-out for much of the season, including that miserable slog through January and December when none of the four NFC South teams wanted to separate from the pack.
Hopefully things go better in 2023. The Saints have replaced Dalton with Derek Carr, one of this year’s most expensive free agents, and the Panthers are preparing to pick a rookie quarterback for Dalton to help coach up with the first overall draft pick. Atlanta is still rebuilding and Tampa Bay is actively tanking, so this might end up being a two-horse race if Carolina gets that quarterback pick right.
