Bengals releasing Andy Dalton, per report

After nine years and much speculation just over the past six months, Andy Dalton’s career with the Cincinnati Bengals has come to a close.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bengals are releasing Andy Dalton.

Dalton’s exodus from Cincinnati became an inevitability once the team clinched the No. 1 overall pick. It was the perfect time to draft a quarterback of the future with Dalton not only coming off one of his worst seasons in the league, but with his contract having just one year left on it and no guaranteed money attached to it.

The release will create $17.7 million in salary cap space, giving the Bengals approximately $25m total cap space now.

This was always going to happen if the team couldn’t have traded him. Effort was made on that front before and surely during the draft, but an offer never tempted the Bengals enough to pull the trigger.

Dalton was the team’s second-round pick back in the 2011 NFL Draft. He finished his tenure in Cincinnati as the team’s all-time leader in touchdowns (204) and a record of 70-61-2. He will go down as one of the best second-round picks in team history.

And to Dalton, we bid you a kind farewell.

Thank you.