When the Carolina Panthers signed Andy Dalton in March, the idea was for the quarterback to mentor as a veteran backup whichever quarterback prospect the team chose with the first pick in the NFL Draft in April.

Dalton also needed to be able to start the season under center just in case the Panthers’ pick hadn’t made a quick enough transition to the NFL between April 27 and Sept. 10.

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Dalton has no doubt he’ll be able to handle that latter duty in his 13th NFL season.

“I view myself as a starter in this league,” Dalton told Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I don’t think there are 32 guys better than me. But this is the situation I am in, and I understand that. As soon as I don’t think I’m one of the best 32, or a little lower, I’ll be watching football on TV.”

Carolina took Alabama All-American Bryce Young with the first selection in the 88th NFL Draft, and reports from the Panthers’ offseason program indicated Dalton will be working backup duty when the season starts against the Atlanta Falcons.

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A nine-year starter and three-time Pro Bowler for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dalton lost his spot to four straight losing seasons and Joe Burrow, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

This is the fourth straight year that Dalton has signed as a backup. In 2020 with the Dallas Cowboys and 2022 with the New Orleans Saints, Dalton joined teams with incumbent quarterbacks. In 2021, Dalton had a similar situation to this year as he signed with the Chicago Bears before they chose Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields at No. 11 in the NFL Draft.

Dalton started six games for the Bears, including the first two of the season. But he started 23 games with the Cowboys and Saints because of injuries to Dak Prescott and Jameis Winston.

“I look back at the last couple of years, and some of the situations didn’t turn out the way I would have liked,” Dalton said. “Last year, I felt personally I played good football, but we didn’t win as many games, and that is the most important thing.

“I have confidence in who I am as a player. Not a lot of people can say, ‘This is Year 13 in the NFL.’ I feel good about where I am. It’s fun to be in this position, to help the next generation of quarterbacks.”

Since Dalton entered the NFL in 2011, he’s among the nine players who have passed for at least 38,150 yards and 244 touchdowns. Among the 12 quarterbacks selected in the 2011 NFL Draft, Dalton has the most passing yards and touchdown passes in his career.

The Panthers hit the field for their first practice at training camp on July 26 at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.