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The Cincinnati Bengals went ahead and cut longtime franchise quarterback Andy Dalton on Thursday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the major move, which comes less than a week removed from the team drafting Joe Burrow at No. 1 in the 2020 NFL Draft. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Dalton requested the move.
During the combine in Indianapolis, reports surfaced suggesting the Bears had reached out to the Bengals about a Dalton trade. And indeed, that sort of idea would register as a major win for Dalton and the Bengals — all while the Bengals get ready to take the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck at No. 1.
Later, another report noted the Bears had reached out to the Bengals about Dalton and to the Jacksonville Jaguars about Nick Foles. Whatever leverage play was going on behind the scenes resulted in Foles going to Chicago.
In the aftermath of the draft and with a free agent like Cam Newton still available it became clear the Bengals weren’t going to find a trade partner willing to take on Dalton’s roughly $17 million cap hit.
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