Staley Da Bear
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- Mar 16, 2019
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Joining the Bears also gives Dalton the chance to reunite with offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, who served as Bengals quarterbacks coach in 2016 and offensive coordinator in 2017-18.
"Bill and I have a great relationship," Dalton said. "I really enjoyed my time working with him. It wasn't just him as a coach; it was him as a person, him as a friend. I think that's going to make this whole transition here a lot easier just because we have this past relationship. We kept in contact throughout the years, even when he wasn't in Cincinnati. I'm excited to get back to working with him and seeing what we can do offensively."
Dalton is well aware of the less than enthusiastic reaction his acquisition by the Bears elicited among fans and media.
"Obviously, I know there's been a lot of talk, but I'm coming in from the outside," Dalton said. "A lot of people don't know a ton about me and are going to get to learn a lot about me while I'm here. That's all I'm worried about and so, I'm here now. Hopefully everybody gets a chance to see who I am as a player, as a person, see what we're going to be able to do with this organization. I'm excited about the opportunity. Obviously, there's been a lot of talk, but I'm not worried about any of that."
Dalton characterizes himself as a hard worker and seasoned professional who will provide leadership on and off the field.
"I'm a guy that brings a lot of experience, that played in a lot of games, that has done a lot in this league," Dalton said. "That's a big part of it. [But] it's not just about the game of football. It's bigger than that: the impact we can make with this platform we have, getting involved in the community and all the different areas of it, and for me, being a great teammate, doing everything I can to help this team, this city and bring a lot of excitement.
"I'd love for this to be the last place that I play. I'd love to finish my career here and get established. For me, this is the second half of my career. I want to play really good football. I want to help this team win a lot of games. I want to bring some excitement to this city. I think that's just kind of where I'm at and what I'm looking forward to."