BREAKING: QB Dalton Leaves Cowboys, Signs With Bears

Dalton is expecting to get a more lucrative offer elsewhere, leaving him to once again make a family-and-finance decision. And his decision will be to become a starter again - outside of Dallas

FRISCO - The 2020 regular season did not unfold exactly as Andy Dalton's planned. But the 2021 offseason? That's a different story.

The Dallas Cowboys quarterback, who signed a one-year deal here last May, subbed for starter Dak Prescott just well enough to vault him back on the NFL free-agency wish list and on Tuesday afternoon agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with the Chicago Bears.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Dalton will be the Bears' No. 1 QB.

Dalton, the decade-long veteran first-team in Cincinnati who came home to join the Cowboys last year in part over COVID concerns and his family, could not know that Dak would be knocked out for the year in Week 5, that Dalton would deal with a concussion, and then with COVID, and then with being at the helm of a 6-10 finisher.

“Absolutely,” Dalton said, expressing his season's-end view on his ability to remain an NFL starter. “I feel like I can play, and I feel like I can help a team win. Hopefully, with the film that I put out this year, people see that and value me in that way. I obviously feel like I still got a lot of good football left, and we’ll see how it all plays out.”

If that sounded like Dalton was considering leaving Dallas ... you were hearing him right. Part of the plan in signing the short-term, $3 million base deal, was to use 2020 as a springboard back to the top.

What did Dallas do? He played valiantly. But erratically.

Certainly involved in the judgment of Dalton: He played in Week 17 with a torn-up left hand, the result of a Giants cleat.

Dalton made nine starts. He helped Dallas win three straight before finishing with a loss. He's a high-quality guy and certainly an "elite bus driver'' as a No. 2 QB - and the Cowboys would've loved to have him back in that role, if affordable.

But Dalton expected to get a more lucrative offer elsewhere, leaving him to once again make a family-and-finance decision. And his decision is to become a starter again. ... in Chicago.

READ MORE: Cowboys NFL Free Agency Tracker - Up To The Minute