The Cincinnati Bengals have the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. With that pick, they’re expected to take Joe Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner from the national championship winning LSU Tigers.
Burrow’s addition would likely force Andy Dalton to the bench.
Still worthy of being a starter, the Bengals are looking to move Dalton, but they won’t be shipping him somewhere he doesn’t want to go, a respective move from quarterback’s only NFL home.
But, the next question that always pops up with trade rumors is where would he potentially land? Well, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, there are three destinations that’d all make sense for the Pro Bowl quarterback.
From our Combine coverage: A look at the Andy Dalton trade market, as the #Bengals work with his agent Jeff Nalley to find a trade partner later in March. Dalton will have options. pic.twitter.com/8TYPwdBUnZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 1, 2020
Those three teams are the Colts, Bears and Patriots.
The Bears have already been “in touch” with the Bengals about Dalton. For the Patriots, Rapoport says that it’s only a real possibility if Tom Brady opts to head elsewhere, leaving the Patriots without a quality signal caller.
As for the Colts, Jacoby Brissett just didn’t get the job done which is why they’re in the running. Having a playoff-caliber roster, the team was a consistent quarterback away from a postseason appearance in 2019.
In 2019, Dalton played 13 games of the team’s starter. He was benched after losing the first eight games and returned in Week 13 to defeat the Jets and then took down in-state rivals Cleveland in Week 17.
Dalton was six yards away from 3,500 on the season.
He did, sadly, throw for a career-low 16 touchdowns and had the third-most interceptions on his nine-year career at 14. So, yes, Dalton may be better in a different system, but it is certainly time for Cincinnati to move on.