The idea the Cincinnati Bengals could keep Andy Dalton behind Joe Burrow in 2020 continues to pick up steam.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor hinted at this in a new interview with WLWT’s Elise Jesse:
“Every option for Andy Dalton is on the table. We’re doing everything we can to make sure that we are prepared for next season with the best assets we can have.”
This comes on the heels of us wondering whether Dalton could be the team’s next cut after the release of Dre Kirkpatrick. Ideally, the team would probably like to trade Dalton and get something in return for his departure — but the Jacksonville Jaguars and Jay Gruden might be the last realistic option there.
The Bengals were always going to have a tougher time than usual trading Dalton this offseason because so many quality quarterbacks were available. Remember, this offseason even included Tom Brady leaving New England for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This sort of note from Taylor classifies as a double win though. It continues to send out the idea to other teams that they won’t just cut Dalton. Want him? Trade for him. And as far as veteran mentors go, it’s hard to imagine a better guy teaching Burrow the pro ways.
For now, it feels like the Bengals will hold onto Dalton and try to get a strong deal either during the draft or if/when an injury occurs and another team gets desperate. It’s not the worst position to be in, provided Dalton isn’t disgruntled over it.
