For months it’s seemed like an inevitability, and on Thursday it became a reality: Andy Dalton’s tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals has come to an end after nine seasons.
Dalton leaves behind a complicated legacy in Cincinnati. The Red Rifle led the Bengals to the post-season in each of his first five seasons with the team and to four straight 10-win seasons from 2012-15. He finishes his Bengals career as the team’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 204, and was clearly loved by the community.
On the flip side, Cincinnati failed to win a single playoff game in Dalton’s time under centre and a terrible stretch of play by the team over his final years led to the firing of long-time head coach Marvin Lewis, and now, the 32-year-old’s release after the team selected Joe Burrow with the first-overall pick last week.
But it’s not unreasonable to believe Dalton could still serve as a capable bridge starter in the right situation as a team searches for its quarterback of the future. Worst-case scenario, the Katy, Texas native could be a high-end backup for one of the numerous teams in need of one right now.
So where could Dalton end up after being cut by the only NFL team he’s ever known? Here is a look at three potential destinations.
[relatedlinks]
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Replacing Tom Brady was always going to be a tough situation for whoever takes the job, and the scrutiny Dalton would face if he started under centre in Week 1 next season would be immense. But this move would make a lot of sense.
If anyone could reinvigorate Dalton, it would be Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels — two coaches who have built their NFL reputations on getting the most out of other teams’ cast-offs.
And with Brady taking his talents to Tampa, the Patriots are left with a lot to be desired on the quarterback depth chart. Right now, sophomore Jarrett Stidham is slotted as QB1, and although there’s buzz the team really likes Stidham’s potential, the 23-year-old has thrown just four NFL passes… and one was a pick-six in relief of Brady last September.
Behind Stidham is Brian Hoyer, a 34-year-old veteran journeyman who has a 16-22 record as a starter with six different teams. None of his 38 career starts have been with the Patriots, where Hoyer has spent parts of five of his 11 seasons in the NFL.
The Patriots didn’t draft a quarterback like many expected they would. They did sign a pair of undrafted free-agent signal callers in Louisiana Tech’s J’Mar Smith and Michigan State’s Brian Lewerke, but neither should be expected to make a contribution in 2020.
So, why not bring in Dalton? There’s no risk for the Patriots, who could likely get the veteran signed to a reasonable contract, and the team’s future at the position is very much a question mark.
Plus, we’d all love to see Dalton’s Patriots defeat Brady’s Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV in Tampa next February.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
The search for an answer at quarterback has been a rollercoaster for the Jaguars, and what a wild ride it’s been.
Since David Garrard’s final season with Jacksonville in 2010, Duval County has seen seven different starting quarterbacks under centre for its team, even with Blake Bortles getting the nod in 73 games between 2014-18.
Most recently, the signing of Nick Foles to a monstrous contract last off-season was a nightmare, and now the NFL’s Moustache King, Gardner Minshew, is pencilled in as Jacksonville’s starter for next season. Minshew was fun to watch in 12 starts last season, but he was far from perfect and there’s no guarantee he’s the answer in Jacksonville.
Enter, Dalton. The Jaguars are reportedly interested in him, and Dalton would immediately jump over current backup Joshua Dobbs and 2020 sixth-rounder Jake Luton on the depth chart.
He’d also likely push Minshew for the starting job as Dalton has a history with new Jaguars offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, who held the same role in Cincinnati from 2011-13 when Dalton played some of his best football.
The jobs of general manager David Caldwell and head coach Doug Marrone are likely on the line this season despite what has been a full-scale rebuild this off-season. Bringing a veteran like Dalton into the quarterback room could help in mentoring Minshew, if that’s the direction the Jaguars want to go, or Dalton could take over under centre and maybe earn the team a couple more wins than it’s currently expecting.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Given Dalton’s status as the long-time starting quarterback of one of Pittsburgh’s fiercest rivals, this destination may not be all that likely, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a smart signing.
Ben Roethlisberger is expected to return next season at full health after elbow surgery ended his 2019 campaign, but that doesn’t change the fact that Big Ben is 38 years old and has started all 16 games just four times in 16 seasons with the Steelers.
That means there’s a good chance Pittsburgh will need to turn to its backup quarterback at some point in 2020 and if that backup is one of Mason Rudolph or Devlin “Duck” Hodges, the Steelers are in trouble.
Pittsburgh would have likely have made the post-season in 2019 if not for the play of its backups, and the Steelers would probably feel much better about turning to Dalton next season, should Roethlisberger go down, than Rudolph or Hodges — even if he’s not a fan favourite.
