Cincinnati Bengals Rumors: ‘All Options’ For Andy Dalton Means He Could Return
While there was a time when it seemed the NFL was going to be playing a game of “quarterback musical chairs” the market has quieted down quite a bit in the last few days. The music hasn’t stopped entirely, but the number of chairs available has certainly dwindled. It’s starting to look as though Andy Dalton could be one of those signal-callers without a chair to sit on — or at least a new chair.
Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report says the Cincinnati Bengals haven’t been able to find a trade partner for Dalton. While some believe he’s headed for the same fate as recently-cut Cam Newton, Conway says rumors are the veteran signal-caller could return to the team instead.
That jibes with what NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport had to say during a recent on NFL Access, which he posted to his Twitter account. Rapoport said sources have told him “all options are on the table.” He emphasized that did indeed include the Bengals opting to keep Dalton.
It’s worth pointing out that while the situations involving Dalton and Newton are similar in some aspects, there is one big difference. The Carolina Panthers advertised the fact that they planned to cut ties with their quarterback. While the Bengals were certainly expected to say goodbye to Dalton this offseason, they did not broadcast their intent.
From @NFLTotalAccess: The #Bengals have kept QB Andy Dalton, thus far, and all options are still on the table — including keeping him. pic.twitter.com/D1UWumyJ4N
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 25, 2020
That difference may allow Cincy to avoid cutting their quarterback and getting nothing in return. He could then conceivably be back on the market by next season’s trade deadline. He could also be the Bengals’ starting quarterback until the franchise’s next heir apparent is ready to take over.
There are also several reports suggesting that the Bengals will draft Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. The rumored plan at that point would be to name him the starting quarterback and hold his feet to the fire immediately.
The Bengals have tried to unload Dalton. They’ve supposedly talked to the Bears and Patriots, among others about working out a trade. It’s not clear whether Cincinnati is looking for a bigger return, or whether other teams are simply looking elsewhere and gambling on picking Dalton up through free agency.
Conway points out that Dalton is currently holding a contract worth $17.5 million, which does not become guaranteed until week one of the NFL season. Should the Bengals decide to hold on to him and have him mentor Burrow, Dalton would become the most expensive backup quarterback in the league by a wide margin.
