Former Bengals Quarterback On Trade Market As Backup Option

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are in the market for a new backup quarterback this offseason, and a reunion could be a salve for that open roster spot.

The Athletic's Joe Person reported this week that the Carolina Panthers are taking calls about trading veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, who played for Cincinnati from 2011-2019.

Joe Flacco performed as well as you could ask of an 18-year veteran in relief of Joe Burrow last season (91 passer rating after getting traded to Cincinnati). It's unfortunately become an important role for the Bengals this decade, with the many injuries Burrow has suffered.

Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher is dialed into what he wants to see from a backup passer.

"When you're looking for a backup quarterback, which is what we're looking for, you want a great player. The same traits that make a starting quarterback a good player are going to be the traits that make a backup quarterback a good player. But the backup quarterback is a unique job, and an understanding of what that is is important," Pitcher said this week. "Because you have to have a guy that's very intrinsically motivated, somebody that can just go to work and do the work day in and day out because they know it's the right thing to do, and because they can get themselves to a place mentally where 'I might have to play at any given moment, but I also may not play all year.' And that's different than any other position in the building.

"Because everybody else usually has some way, shape, or form to affect the game. Obviously, a backup quarterback is going to play in practice, so they're going to affect the team that way. So there's a mentality that goes with that. There's a maturity that goes with that. And then you balance that against a guy who might have traits that you see being able to develop and grow, and maybe at some point become a starting quarterback in this league. Do you go in free agency to try to achieve that goal? Do you go in the draft? Well, you look at all of it. You just decide what's going to be best for the team based on what type of resources you want to allocate, and you just try to find somebody who fits."

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and quarterback Andy Dalton talk during a timeout in the second quarter against the Steelers on Sept. 30, 2019. | Kareem Elgazzar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Dalton is currently playing on the final year of his two-year, $8 million deal with Carolina. Although he would come in around double the salary cap hit Flacco was last season after posting a putrid 13.1 ESPN QBR in three outings. He posted 52 and 49.2 QBRs in 2024 and 2023.

He threw for 293 yards on 67.6% completion last season with one touchdown and one interception.

Add in needing to give up an asset for the veteran, and it may not make sense to pursue the 38-year-old via trade. Dalton was solid for Cincinnati last decade, but those days could be behind him.

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