CINCINNATI — Andy Dalton’s run with the Bengals is over, as the veteran quarterback is being released, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.
Dalton had been the Bengals’ primary starter since they selected him in the second round of the 2011 draft. Dalton, 32, led Cincinnati to the playoffs from 2011 to 2015, losing in the wild-card round each time, and is the franchise’s career leader in touchdown passes.
The news comes one week after the Bengals drafted former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the top overall pick. Burrow threw 60 touchdowns in 2019, an FBS record, and won the Heisman Trophy as he led the Tigers to the national championship.
Dalton was set to earn $17.7 million in the final season of a six-year contract worth $96 million. After the Bengals went on a spending spree this summer, Cincinnati did not have the salary-cap space to keep Dalton and sign its incoming rookie class.
Prior to the decision to release Dalton, the Bengals tried to trade the quarterback, a source told ESPN’s Josina Anderson, adding that Dalton “requested the opportunity to see what’s out there.”
Before Burrow’s selection, Dalton was the last quarterback that the Bengals drafted in the first or second round.
Dalton was 70-61-2 as the Bengals’ starter. Along with his franchise-record 204 touchdown passes, he is second in passing yards with 31,594, behind only Ken Anderson (32,838).
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