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Andy Dalton as the backup quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals behind Joe Burrow has an odd ring to it.
Back in late February, we detailed Bengals personnel making it clear they wouldn’t rule out a Dalton return in 2020.
That idea got some more momentum Wednesday night.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted the Bengals remain open to all options and haven’t ruled out a return, largely because Dalton’s contract isn’t guaranteed.
But — like before — this seems like the Bengals just publicly playing the leverage game. The front office has doled out a ton of cash in free agency, including big money up front for Trae Waynes and Vonn Bell. That money has to come from somewhere — and items like the A.J. Green franchise tag and possible Joe Mixon extension can or will take up big chunks of space.
On paper, Dalton backing up and serving as a mentor for a rookie sounds good. But it would presumably need to happen after a contract restructure.
Plenty of possible Dalton landing spots have dried up. But the Bengals might just be comfortable enough to hold onto Dalton until another team gets overly desperate due to injury or otherwise.
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
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