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Andy Dalton has found his next home, and it’s a bit of a shocker.
Late Saturday night, Dalton agreed to a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Former Bengals’ QB Andy Dalton is signing a one-year deal worth up to $7 million that includes $3 million guaranteed with the Dallas Cowboys, source tells ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 3, 2020
Dalton is returning to Texas.
Dalton’s decision to sign with Dallas is surprising since Dak Prescott is firmly entrenched as the franchise quarterback. He is currently set to play under the franchise tag next season, but it would be a massive shock if he doesn’t ultimately sign a long-term extension.
Interesting signing to secure a top backup. But... before anyone asks, #Cowboys source says this has nothing to do with Dak Prescott. This is just about Dalton wanting to be back in Dallas and the #Cowboys wanting a strong option in case of injury. Simple. https://t.co/WrXSLdIqZL
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 3, 2020
The expectation was Dalton would sign with a franchise he’d get a chance to compete for the starting gig for, someone like the Patriots or Jaguars. However, Dalton is a Texas native and played collegiality at TCU, so he will get to go back home, even if it is just for a season.
And if Dak were to go down, Dalton would take over the starting role for what looks like a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
More importantly, it’s just a one-year deal, so Dalton will get to re-enter free agency next season and get to actually be part of the first waves of free agency, whereas he didn’t get released until May this year, which severely affected his market.
Ironically, Cincinnati hosts Dallas next season, so we’ll likely see Dalton return to Cincinnati as an opponent for the first time.
Here’s to hoping this turns out to be a great decision for Dalton and his future in the NFL.