 Dalton with theCincinnati Bengals in 2017 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 14 – Carolina Panthers | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1987-10-29)October 29, 1987 (age 38) Katy, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Katy | ||||||||||||||
| College | TCU (2006–2010) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2011: 2nd round, 35th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 8, 2025 | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American professionalfootballquarterback for theCarolina Panthers of theNational Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "the Red Rifle", he playedcollege football for theTCU Horned Frogs, winningMW Offensive Player of the Year twice and becoming the school's leader in quarterback wins.[1] He was selected by theCincinnati Bengals in the second round of the2011 NFL draft.[2]
During his first nine seasons with the Bengals, Dalton led the team to five consecutive playoff appearances from 2011 to 2015 and received threePro Bowl selections. In his first season, he and wide receiverA. J. Green set records for completions and yards by a rookie quarterback/receiver combination.[3] Dalton also set the Bengals franchise records for passing touchdowns, single-season passing yards, and single-season passing touchdowns.[4]
Despite his regular season success, Dalton went winless in the playoffs and was released by the Bengals in 2020 following four consecutive losing seasons. He spent his next three seasons alternating as a starter and backup with theDallas Cowboys,Chicago Bears, andNew Orleans Saints for one year each. Dalton joined the Panthers in 2023.
Dalton attendedKaty High School inKaty, Texas, where he played for the Tigersfootball team. He split time as a junior in 2004 and then started only one full season at quarterback for Katy High as a senior in 2005. That year, he led the Tigers to the state finals, where they lost toSouthlake Carroll, 34–20. As a senior, he threw for 2,877 yards with 42 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.[5] That year, he was named theGreater Houston Area offensive player of the year by theHouston Chronicle.[6]
Dalton committed toTexas Christian University on October 19, 2005.[7]
Dalton wasredshirted his freshman year, but he traveled with the team to every road game and was listed as the Horned Frogs' third-string quarterback behind senior Jeff Ballard and redshirt freshman Marcus Jackson.[8] Entering the2007 season, Dalton was in competition with Jackson to be the starting quarterback. Two weeks before the season opener against theBaylor Bears, TCU head coachGary Patterson named Dalton the starter.[9] He was named the2007 Texas Bowl MVP in TCU's 20–13 victory over theHouston Cougars.[10] Dalton finished his redshirt freshman season with 2,459 passing yards, ten touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.[11] After going 8–5 as a freshman, he accumulated a record of 34–3 as a starter for the rest of his career at TCU.[12]
In the2008 season, Dalton led TCU to an 11–2 record, finishing second place in theMountain West Conference and seventh in the nationalAP Poll.[13] He was named the2008 Poinsettia Bowl MVP in the Horned Frogs' 17–16 win over theBoise State Broncos.[14] He finished the 2008 season with 2,242 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions.[15]
In the2009 season, Dalton led the Horned Frogs to a perfect 12–0 regular season, a Mountain West Conference Championship, a #6 ranking in the AP Poll, and aBCS berth.[16] The Horned Frogs lost 17–10 in theFiesta Bowl to theBoise State Broncos.[17] He finished the 2009 season with 2,756 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.[18]
On September 4, 2010, Dalton recorded his 30th victory as the Horned Frogs starting quarterback, passingSammy Baugh as TCU's all-time wins leader. Against theBaylor Bears, Dalton completed 21 of 23 pass attempts (a career-best and single-game record 91.3%) for 267 yards and twotouchdowns.[19] His team won a second consecutive Mountain West Conference Championship. On January 1, 2011, Dalton led his team to a 21–19 victory over the #4Wisconsin Badgers in theRose Bowl inPasadena, California.[20] His TCU football team finished the season with a perfect 13–0 record and #2 ranking in the AP Poll.[21][22] The only other team with a perfect record, theAuburn Tigers, won theBCS National Championship that year.[23] Dalton finished the 2010 season with 2,857 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and six interceptions.[24] He finished in ninth place on theHeisman Trophy voting.[25]
Dalton held school career records for wins (42), passing yards (10,314), pass attempts (1,317), completions (812), and completion percentage (61.6) at the time he graduated, but a few years later,Trevone Boykin surpassed most of Dalton's records.[26] Dalton also held the Mountain West career leader in total offense (11,925 yards) and plays from scrimmage (1,730).[27]
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Comp | Att | Pct | Yards | Avg | TD | Int | Rate | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | |||
| 2006 | TCU Horned Frogs | Redshirt | |||||||||||||||
| 2007 | 13 | 13 | 8−5 | 222 | 371 | 59.8 | 2,459 | 5.8 | 10 | 11 | 118.5 | 98 | 232 | 2.4 | 5 | ||
| 2008 | 11 | 11 | 9−2 | 182 | 307 | 59.3 | 2,242 | 7.3 | 11 | 5 | 129.2 | 113 | 432 | 3.8 | 8 | ||
| 2009 | 13 | 13 | 12−1 | 199 | 323 | 61.6 | 2,756 | 8.8 | 23 | 8 | 151.8 | 116 | 512 | 4.4 | 3 | ||
| 2010 | 13 | 13 | 13−0 | 209 | 316 | 66.1 | 2,857 | 9.9 | 27 | 6 | 166.5 | 86 | 435 | 5.1 | 6 | ||
| Career | 50 | 50 | 42−8 | 812 | 1,317 | 61.7 | 10,314 | 7.8 | 71 | 30 | 140.7 | 413 | 1,611 | 3.9 | 22 | ||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 31+3⁄4 in (0.81 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.93 s | 1.77 s | 2.89 s | 4.27 s | 6.93 s | 29.5 in (0.75 m) | 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) | 29[28] | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[29][30] | ||||||||||||
On April 29, 2011, theCincinnati Bengals selected Dalton in the second round, as the 35th overall pick, in the2011 NFL draft.[31] Out of the twelve quarterbacks that were chosen in the 2011 NFL Draft, he was the fifth selected.[32]
After Dalton was selected by the Bengals, there was much speculation over whether Dalton or veteranBruce Gradkowski would start at quarterback.Carson Palmer, the first overall draft pick in the2003 NFL draft, demanded to betraded or released and was traded later in the season to theOakland Raiders. On June 29, 2011, the Bengals signed Dalton to a four-year, $5.21 million rookie contract with a $2.29 million signing bonus and $4.02 million guaranteed.[33]
On August 8, before their first pre-season game against theDetroit Lions, Bengals head coachMarvin Lewis released his firstdepth chart per NFL rules but noted that it meant little. The depth chart had Dalton listed as the first-string quarterback, followed by Gradkowski.[34]
Dalton's first NFL regular-season start came on September 11, on the road against theCleveland Browns. Dalton, in one half of play before leaving the game due to injury, completed 10 of his 15 pass attempts for 81 yards and a touchdown, posting apasser rating of 102.4. The Bengals won the game, 27–17, Dalton's first divisionalAFC North victory as well as first win against the divisional rival Browns.[35] Dalton's second game on was also on the road, against theDenver Broncos. Despite a 24–22 loss, he led a comeback, completing 19 of 29 pass attempts for 280 yards and two touchdowns in the second half alone, and achieving a passer rating of 107.0 for the game.[36] During a Week 6 27–17 victory over theIndianapolis Colts, Dalton completed 25 of 32 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown. In that game, he had a season-high 78.1 completion percentage and 111.5 passer rating.[37]
On November 3, Dalton was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for October. He led the Bengals to a 4–0 record with 909 passing yards and six touchdowns in the month.[38] During Week 9, Dalton then threw for 217 yards and a season-high three touchdowns with no interceptions against theTennessee Titans in a comeback 24–17 victory, earning himNFL Rookie of the Week honors.[39] Three weeks later, Dalton passed for 270 yards and a touchdown for a 105.6 passer rating in a comeback 23–20 victory over the Browns, again winning Rookie of the Week. This game featured a 51-yard strike from Dalton toA. J. Green with only 1:08 remaining in the fourth quarter, setting up the Bengals' game-winning field goal.[40] By the end of the season, Dalton had led the Bengals to a 9–7 record and a berth in theNFL playoffs.[41]
On January 7, 2012, the Bengals faced theT. J. Yates-ledHouston Texans in theWild Card Round of the NFL playoffs. This game marked the first time in NFL playoff history that two rookie quarterbacks started in the same game against each other.[42] Dalton completed over 64 percent of his passes but also had three turnovers as the Texans won the game, 31–10.[43]
During his rookie season, Dalton had four wins featuring fourth-quarter comebacks (against theBuffalo Bills,Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns). He became the first quarterback in NFL history not drafted in the first round to start all 16 games of his rookie season. Dalton became just one of five rookie quarterbacks with over 3,000 passing yards and at least 20 touchdown passes, joining fellow rookieCam Newton and alsoPeyton Manning,Dan Marino, andCharlie Conerly.[4]
At the end of the season, Dalton received the Emerging Player Award from theNFL Players Association during the NFLPA PULSE Awards. The other nominees for the award wereCarolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton,New Orleans Saints tight endJimmy Graham,New England Patriots tight endRob Gronkowski, and Lions defensive tackleNdamukong Suh.[44]
Dalton was named initially as aPro Bowl Alternate in his first year, and was added to theAmerican Football Conference (AFC) Pro Bowl roster after the Patriots won the AFC Championship, forcingTom Brady to withdraw.[45][46] Dalton and Newton became the first pair of rookie quarterbacks to make the Pro Bowl in the same season.[47]
During Week 2, Dalton guided the Bengals to a 34–27 victory over theCleveland Browns. He completed 24 of 31 passes for 318 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, for a 128.2passer rating.[48] In the next game against theWashington Redskins, Dalton completed 19-of-27 passes for 328 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, for a season-high 132.9 passer rating, in leading the Bengals to a 38–31 road victory.[49] Furthermore, he lined up as a wide receiver on the first play from scrimmage of the game, acting as a decoy whilewildcat quarterbackMohamed Sanu threw a 73-yard touchdown pass toA. J. Green, then again flanked as a receiver whileBenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for a touchdown via a direct snap. The following week against theJacksonville Jaguars, Dalton threw for 244 yards and had three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in leading the Bengals to a 27–10 road victory.[50]
On October 14, 2012, Dalton threw for a career-high 381 yards to go with three touchdowns against the Browns, but also threw three interceptions as the Bengals lost 34–24.[51] This was the second game in what would become a four-game losing streak. Dalton and the Bengals rebounded by defeating theNew York Giants by a score of 31–13. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 199 yards and a season-high four touchdowns, attaining a 127.6 passer rating and a season-high 94.5QBR.[52] For his performance against the Giants, Dalton was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.[53][54] In the next game against theKansas City Chiefs, Dalton completed 18 of 29 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns thrown (a 109.8 passer rating) while adding a rushing touchdown in the 28–6 road victory.[55]
On November 25, in a much-hyped game with theOakland Raiders due to the return of former Bengals quarterbackCarson Palmer to Cincinnati, Dalton outperformed Palmer by throwing for 210 yards and three touchdowns, achieving a 109.0 passer rating, and leading the Bengals to a 34–10 victory.[56] In the fourth quarter, an unnecessary roughness penalty byLamarr Houston on Dalton was one part of a sequence of events leading to the ejections ofAndrew Whitworth,Tommy Kelly, and Houston from the game. With his performance, Dalton became one of three players in NFL history with at least 20 touchdown passes in each of his first two seasons, joiningPeyton Manning andDan Marino.[57]
In two of the next three following weeks, Dalton's mobility proved to be valuable as he scrambled for the go-ahead touchdown runs in victories over theSan Diego Chargers andPhiladelphia Eagles. On December 23, against thePittsburgh Steelers, his 21-yard pass to Green with fourteen seconds remaining set up the game-winning field goal, propelling the Bengals to a 13–10 road victory and a second consecutive berth in theNFL playoffs.[58] This game marked the first time Dalton was able to defeat the divisional rival Steelers, and the first time the Bengals made the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 1981–1982.[59] The following week, Dalton threw for a touchdown and a 101.5 quarterback rating in one half of play in a 23–17 victory over theBaltimore Ravens. This marked his first victory over the divisional rival Ravens and capped a 10–6 regular-season record.[60]
On January 5, 2013, Dalton and the Bengals faced theHouston Texans in theWild Card Round of the NFL playoffs. In a defensive struggle with neither Dalton nor Texans quarterbackMatt Schaub able to pass for a touchdown, the Bengals lost 19–13, the second consecutive year the Bengals fell to the Texans in the opening round of the playoffs. With 2:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, Dalton overthrew a pass to an open Green, for what would have been the go-ahead touchdown.[61]
In the season opener against theChicago Bears, Dalton completed 26 of 33 passes for a career-high 78.8 completion percentage, 282 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 91.8QBR as the Bengals lost on the road by a score of 24–21.[62][63] In the next game, he threw for 280 yards and a touchdown as the Bengals beat thePittsburgh Steelers by a score of 20–10.[64] The following week, Dalton completed 20 of 28 passes for 235 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception for a 105.5 passer rating in leading the Bengals to a 34–30 victory over theGreen Bay Packers.[65]
On October 13, 2013, after two games without a touchdown pass (in a loss to theCleveland Browns and a victory over theNew England Patriots), Dalton rebounded by completing 26 of 40 passes for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception for a 105.9 passer rating in a 27–24 overtime road victory over theBuffalo Bills.[66] For his efforts in that game, Dalton was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[67] In the next game, he completed 24 of 34 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns for a 92.8 QBR and a 135.9 passer rating in leading the Bengals to a 27–24 road victory over theDetroit Lions.[68] The following week, Dalton completed 19 of 30 passes for 325 yards, a career-high five touchdowns, and an interception in merely three quarters of play for a 125.7 passer rating and a career-high 98.9 QBR in a 49–9 victory over theNew York Jets.[69] At the end of October, Dalton was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month.[70]
On October 31, 2013, Dalton began another difficult two-game stretch. He passed for 338 yards against theMiami Dolphins but also had three interceptions, most critically one that bounced off the hands ofMohamed Sanu, that if caught by Sanu, likely would have sealed a victory for the Bengals, who ended up losing on the road by a score of 22–20 in overtime; Dalton was sacked byCameron Wake in the end zone in overtime for a safety to end the game.[71] In the next game against theBaltimore Ravens, Dalton passed for 274 yards and two touchdowns, most notably a 51-yardHail Mary touchdown pass against the wind toA. J. Green as time expired in regulation but also had three interceptions as the Bengals lost on the road in overtime by a score of 20–17.[72] Dalton continued his struggles against the Browns, as he threw two interceptions in the first quarter. However, he rebounded to throw three consecutive touchdowns as the Bengals won by a score of 41–20.[73] After an early interception at theSan Diego Chargers, Dalton again rebounded by passing for 149 yards and a touchdown in the second half as the Bengals won on the road by a score of 17–10.[74]
On December 8, 2013, Dalton continued his upswing. He completed 24 of 35 passes for 275 yards and four total touchdowns against theIndianapolis Colts, attaining an 89.2 QBR and 120.5 passer rating in a 42–28 victory.[75] Although the Bengals lost at the Steelers the following week, Dalton was able to pass for 230 yards and two touchdowns while overcoming six dropped passes by his receivers.[76] For the second time in the 2013 season, he earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.[77] Dalton continued his December success the following week by completing 27 of 38 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns for a 92.0 QBR and a career-high 136.5 passer rating in a 42–14 victory over theMinnesota Vikings.[78] With this game, Dalton and the Bengals became the 2013AFC North Division Champions and Dalton had earned his third consecutive berth to theNFL playoffs, becoming just one of five NFL quarterbacks to make the playoffs in each of his first three seasons. While the Bengals beat the Ravens 34–17 the following week, Dalton struggled, scoring three total touchdowns and passing for 281 yards but also four interceptions.[79]
Dalton finished the regular season with 4,293 passing yards for 34 passing touchdowns, 20 interceptions, and an 88.8 passer rating. His passing yards and touchdowns were both career highs and Bengals single-season franchise records. In the Bengals'Wild Card game against the Chargers, Dalton threw his first NFL postseason touchdown pass. However, he also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, on three consecutive possessions in the second half, as the Bengals lost by a score of 27–10. After the game, Dalton was heavily criticized for his poor play and consistent failure to advance in the playoffs.[80] In his eight 2013 primetime (SNF,MNF,TNF,playoffs), and/or AFC North intradivisional games, Dalton completed 192 of 349 passes (55.0 completion percentage) for 2,036 passing yards, 5.83 yards per attempt, 11 passing touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and a 63.6 passer rating. In his other nine games of 2013, Dalton completed 200 of 288 passes (69.4 completion percentage) for 2,594 passing yards, 9.01 yards per attempt, 23 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a 114 passer rating. Such performances raised doubt about whether Dalton was a "big-game" quarterback.[81]
On August 4, 2014, Dalton received a six-year extension that could be worth as much as $115 million, with team performance-based incentives.[82]
During the season-opening 23–16 victory over theBaltimore Ravens, Dalton threw the game-winning 77-yard touchdown pass toA. J. Green. It was Dalton's first win on the road against the Ravens.[83] During a Week 3 33–7 victory over theTennessee Titans, he caught an 18-yard touchdown pass fromMohamed Sanu.[84] It was the first time a quarterback had caught a touchdown pass since quarterbackTyler Thigpen, then playing for theKansas City Chiefs, caught a 37-yard pass from wide receiverMark Bradley in 2008.[85] Dalton was the first quarterback ever to catch a touchdown pass for the Bengals.[86]
Following the Bengals' first loss of the 2014 season against theNew England Patriots, the Bengals were involved in a tie for the second time in the past seven seasons. With the score tied at 37 in overtime against theCarolina Panthers, Dalton completed five of seven passes for 49 yards, but kickerMike Nugent pushed the field goal wide right. Dalton threw for a season-high 323 yards, along with two touchdowns and two interceptions.[87] This was followed by a meager 126 yards in a shutout road loss to theIndianapolis Colts.[88] In the second match-up against the Ravens in Game 7, Dalton led an 80-yard drive in the games' final four minutes and ran in a quarterback sneak from one yard out to give the Bengals a 27–24 victory, his second game-winning drive of the season, both against Baltimore.[89] Following a win over theJacksonville Jaguars, the Bengals reached the season midpoint at 5–2–1.
Dalton had a historically terrible performance against theCleveland Browns in Week 9, where he completed 10 of 33 passes for 86 total yards with three interceptions to earn a 2.0 passer rating, the lowest by an NFL quarterback with 25 pass attempts since 2004 and the 11th lowest in history.[90][91] He responded with 220 yards and three touchdowns for a season-best rating of 143.9 in a 27–10 road victory over theNew Orleans Saints, and his first career win in four attempts against the Texans in Week 11.[92][93] During Week 12 against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, Dalton rebounded from three first-half interceptions to run for a touchdown and throw for another in a 14–13 road victory.[94] It marked the fourth consecutive year that Dalton had won three games against theNational Football Conference, extending his record to 12–3–1 against the opposite conference. The Bengals lost in Week 13 to thePittsburgh Steelers despite Dalton's solid 128.8 rating and 20-yard touchdown run (the longest ever by a Bengals quarterback), then shut out Cleveland despite his 53.6 rating.[95] Two weeks later, Dalton threw two touchdowns and an interception in a 37–28 win over theDenver Broncos to help the Bengals clinch a playoff berth for a franchise-record fourth straight year.[96] In the regular-season finale against the Steelers, Dalton threw two first-half interceptions but led an 89-yard fourth-quarter drive capped by a five-yard touchdown pass toJermaine Gresham to cut the deficit to 20–17, but despite a streak of 11 of 12 passes for 101 yards, Green fumbled inside Steelers territory to seal the 27–17 loss and a #5 wild card seed in the playoffs.[97]
Playing without many of his offensive weapons against the Colts on the road in theWild Card Round, Dalton led the Bengals to their fourth straight playoff loss by a score of 26–10, with a 155-yard, no touchdown, no interception effort.[98]
On January 20, 2015, it was announced that Dalton was selected to the2015 Pro Bowl, his secondPro Bowl appearance, replacingAaron Rodgers of theGreen Bay Packers, who declined to participate due to injury.[99] Dalton completed nine of 20 passes for 69 yards.[100]
The Bengals began the 2015 season on a historic winning streak. In the season-opening 33–13 road victory over theOakland Raiders, Dalton threw his 100th career touchdown pass, which was to tight endTyler Eifert, in the second quarter. Dalton finished the game with 269 passing yards and two touchdowns.[101] In the next game, Dalton threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns in a 24–19 defeat of theSan Diego Chargers.[102] It marked the fourth straight home-opening win for the Bengals and the 15th three-touchdown performance for Dalton. He threw for a career-high 383 yards and three touchdowns in Week 3 against the Ravens, 321 yards in Week 4 against theKansas City Chiefs, and 331 yards in a Week 5 game where Dalton also threw two touchdowns and ran for one as he led the Bengals back from a fourth-quarter 24–7 deficit to a 27–24 overtime win over theSeattle Seahawks.[103] This was the second-biggest comeback in franchise history. During a Week 6 34–21 road victory over theBuffalo Bills, Dalton completed 22 of 33 passes for 243 yards with three touchdowns.[104] Dalton was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. Following a bye week, Dalton led the Bengals to another fourth-quarter comeback against thePittsburgh Steelers on the road. The 16–10 win gave the Bengals their first 7–0 start in franchise history.[105] They extended this to 8–0 with Dalton's 139.8 passer rating in a victory over theCleveland Browns.[106]
Dalton failed to reach 200 yards passing for the first time in a Week 9 10–6 loss to theHouston Texans.[107] In the next game againstArizona Cardinals, he threw for 315 yards and led two scoring drives in less than four minutes in the late fourth quarter to tie the game, the Bengals lost on the road by a score of 34–31.[108] Dalton bounced back with three touchdowns and a 121.4 rating in a Week 11 31–7 victory over theSt. Louis Rams, and a career-high passer rating of 146.8 in a Week 12 37–3 road victory over the Browns. During Week 13, Dalton fractured the thumb on his throwing hand while tacklingStephon Tuitt after an interceptedshovel pass, missing the season's final three games (replacementA. J. McCarron was 2–1 with a 97.1 passer rating).[109]
Dalton finished the year with 3,250 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.[110] He was the first Bengal ever to throw for more than 20 touchdown passes with fewer than 10 interceptions in franchise history.[111] Dalton's 106.2 passer rating ranked No. 2 and his 8.4 yards per attempt ranked No. 3 among NFL quarterbacks in 2015.[112] He was ranked 35th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2016.[113]
The Bengals' season ended when they lost to the Steelers by a score of 18–16 in the AFCWild Card Round.[114] Dalton had the cast for his broken thumb removed five days before the game, but did not play.[115]
Dalton began the 2016 season with back-to-back 366 yard games, overcoming seven sacks for a 55-yard game-winning drive in the 23–22 road victory over theNew York Jets in Week 1, but losing on the road 24–16 in Week 2 to thePittsburgh Steelers.[116][117] After an off-night of 206 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception in a 29–17 loss to theDenver Broncos, Dalton completed 69.5% of his passes for 1,127 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions in four straight 100+ passer rating games.[118] Despite a middle-of-the-pack 89.7 rating through 13 games, Dalton had been sacked a league-leading 32 times and the Bengals were 3–7–1 and out of the playoffs. Dalton had 332 yards and a 130.0 passer rating in a Week 13 32–14 victory over thePhiladelphia Eagles, but averaged just 208 yards over the season's last four games.[119] The Bengals ended the season with a 6–9–1 record, with Dalton throwing a career-low 18 touchdowns, and second in the league with 41 sacks. However, he recorded over 4,000 passing yards for the second time in his career, had just eight interceptions on 563 attempts, and contributed four rushing touchdowns.[120]Marvin Lewis praised it as "the best campaign of [Dalton's] career", and he earned his third Pro Bowl recognition, replacing the Super Bowl-boundTom Brady.[121][122]
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Dalton threw three interceptions in the first half during the home opener against theBaltimore Ravens in Week 1. Overall, he finished the game with 170 passing yards and had four interceptions as the Bengals were shut out and lost by a score of 20–0. Dalton's four interceptions tied his career high for a single game, with the other instance occurring against the Ravens in a 2013 matchup.[123][124] Though the Bengals were eliminated from playoff contention by the time of the rematch with Baltimore in Week 17, Dalton threw a game-winning touchdown pass toTyler Boyd with 44 seconds left in the game, eliminating the Ravens from the postseason and allowing theBuffalo Bills to clinch their first playoff berth since 1999.[125] Thanks to the Bengals' victory, thousands of grateful Bills fans donated money to Dalton's personal charity. Most of the donations were in $17 increments in honor of the Bills breaking their 17-year playoff drought.[126] Over 11,000 people donated a combined over $250,000 to the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation, while Boyd's charity of choice, the Western Pennsylvania Youth Athletic Association, received $50,000 in donations from Bills fans.[127][128] In the Bengals' 7–9 season, Dalton started all 16 games and finished with 3,320 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.[129]
During Week 2, Dalton threw four touchdown passes in the home-opener against the division rivalBaltimore Ravens. All four touchdowns were in the first half, three of them were caught byA. J. Green. The Bengals went on to win 34–23.[130] During Week 12 against theCleveland Browns, Dalton suffered a thumb injury in the fourth quarter and did not return.[131] It was revealed that he suffered torn ligaments in the thumb and was placed oninjured reserve on November 26, 2018.[132] In 11 games in the 2018 season, Dalton finished with 2,566 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.[133]
During Week 1 against theSeattle Seahawks, Dalton threw for a career-high 418 yards and two touchdowns in the 20–21 loss.[134] Following an 0–8 start to the season, Bengals head coachZac Taylor announced that he would bench Dalton and start rookieRyan Finley.[135] After three games and losses with Finley, Dalton was renamed the starting quarterback on November 25, 2019, for their upcoming game against theNew York Jets.[136] In the game, he threw for 243 yards and a touchdown as the Bengals won their first game of the season by a score of 22–6.[137] In Week 15 against theNew England Patriots, Dalton threw for 151 yards, a touchdown, and four interceptions during the 34–13 loss. This was Dalton's fourth career game with four interceptions.[138] During a Week 16 road matchup against theMiami Dolphins, he threw for 396 yards and four touchdowns. Dalton scored 16 points in the final 29 seconds of regulation to force an overtime that the Bengals ultimately lost 38–35 to clinch the NFL's worst record.[139] In the regular-season finale against theCleveland Browns, Dalton threw for 190 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. In addition, he had eight carries for 10 yards and a touchdown during the 33–23 win. After the game, Dalton said that if it was his last game as a Bengal, "It was good to end it taking a knee."[140] Dalton appeared in 13 games in the 2019 season and recorded 3,494 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.[141]
On April 30, 2020, after nine seasons with the franchise, the Bengals released Dalton after selectingJoe Burrow as the first overall pick in the2020 NFL draft.[142]
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On May 2, 2020, Dalton signed a one-year contract with theDallas Cowboys worth $7 million to beDak Prescott's backup for the season.[143]
On October 11, 2020, Dalton replaced an injured Prescott in Week 5 against theNew York Giants. Dalton finished with 111 passing yards as the Cowboys won 37–34.[144][145] Dalton was named the starting quarterback for the Cowboys going forward due to Prescott's season ending injury.[146][147] Dalton made his first start in Week 6 against theArizona Cardinals onMonday Night Football. During the game, Dalton threw for 266 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions during the 38–10 loss.[148]
During a Week 7 25–3 road loss to theWashington Football Team, Dalton suffered a concussion after a late hit byJon Bostic.[149][150] On November 3, 2020, Dalton was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list after testing positive for the virus.[151][152] Dalton was activated from the list on November 18, 2020, in time for the Cowboys' Week 11 matchup against the Vikings.[153] Against theMinnesota Vikings, Dalton threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns, including one toDalton Schultz with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, as the Cowboys beat the Vikings on the road by a score of 31–28.[154][155]
During Week 14 against his former team, theCincinnati Bengals, Dalton threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns during the 30–7 road victory.[156] Two weeks later against thePhiladelphia Eagles, Dalton threw for 377 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception during the 37–17 victory.[157] In 11 games and 9 starts, Dalton finished the season with 2,169 yards, 14 passing touchdowns, and eight interceptions as the Cowboys finished with a 6–10 record.[158]
On March 17, 2021, theChicago Bears signed Dalton to a one-year contract worth $10 million, and up to $13 million in incentives.[159] Dalton started the first two games before suffering a knee injury.[160] He was then relegated to the backup quarterback afterJustin Fields was named the starter.[161] Against theBaltimore Ravens in Week 11, Dalton entered the game in the third quarter after Fields left the game with a rib injury. Dalton threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears lost 13–16.[162] In the 2021 season, Dalton passed for 1,512 yards, eight touchdowns, and nine interceptions in eight games.[163]
On March 29, 2022, Dalton signed a one-year contract with theNew Orleans Saints.[164] Dalton was named the starter in the Saints' Week 4 matchup against theMinnesota Vikings in London, following injuries toJameis Winston.[165] Dalton completed 20 of his 28 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown in the 28–25 loss.[166] In Week 7 against theArizona Cardinals, Dalton passed for 361 yards and four touchdowns but had three interceptions, including two pick-sixes, in the 42–34 loss.[167] After the game, head coachDennis Allen announced Dalton would be the starter for the remainder of the season over Winston.[168] Dalton appeared in 14 games and finished with 2,871 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions as the Saints went 7–10.[169][170]
On March 15, 2023, Dalton signed a two-year contract worth up to $10 million with theCarolina Panthers.[171][172][173] Dalton was named the starter for the team during the offseason;[174] however he was beaten out byBryce Young, the first-overall draft pick, a few days before the preseason.[175]
Dalton got his first start with the team on September 24, 2023, after Young went down with an injury a week prior.[176] He went on to pass for 361 yards and two touchdowns in a 27–37 loss against theSeattle Seahawks.[177] His 58 pass attempts were the most for any quarterback in a single game during the 2023 regular season.[178] Week 3 was Dalton's lone significant playing time in the 2023 season.[179]
On September 16, 2024, after the Panthers fell to 0–2 and Young continued to struggle, Dalton was named the starting quarterback.[180] In his first start against theLas Vegas Raiders, Dalton threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Panthers to scores on seven of their 12 possessions as they won 36–22.[181] On October 22, Dalton and his family were involved in a car accident.[182] No one in the vehicle required emergency medical transport, but Dalton sustained an injury to the thumb on his throwing hand, ruling him out for the Panthers' Week 8 matchup against theDenver Broncos.[183] Although Dalton recovered, Young remained the Panthers' starter for the rest of the season.[184]
On February 18, 2025, Dalton signed another two-year contract extension with the Panthers, making it his third season with the team. His contract was worth $8 million and has a maximum value of $10 million.[185] During the Panthers week 2 preseason game against theHouston Texans, Dalton would leave late in the first quarter early due to an elbow injury sustained when he was hit by TexanslinebackerDanielle Hunter.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2011 | CIN | 16 | 16 | 9–7 | 300 | 516 | 58.1 | 3,398 | 6.6 | 84 | 20 | 13 | 80.4 | 37 | 152 | 4.1 | 17 | 1 | 24 | 160 | 4 | 2 |
| 2012 | CIN | 16 | 16 | 10–6 | 329 | 528 | 62.3 | 3,669 | 6.9 | 59 | 27 | 16 | 87.4 | 47 | 120 | 2.6 | 17 | 4 | 46 | 229 | 4 | 4 |
| 2013 | CIN | 16 | 16 | 11–5 | 363 | 586 | 61.9 | 4,293 | 7.3 | 82 | 33 | 20 | 88.8 | 61 | 183 | 3.0 | 12 | 2 | 29 | 182 | 4 | 3 |
| 2014 | CIN | 16 | 16 | 10–5–1 | 309 | 481 | 64.2 | 3,398 | 7.1 | 81 | 19 | 17 | 83.5 | 60 | 169 | 2.8 | 20 | 4 | 21 | 124 | 3 | 2 |
| 2015 | CIN | 13 | 13 | 10–3 | 255 | 386 | 66.1 | 3,250 | 8.4 | 80 | 25 | 7 | 106.2 | 57 | 142 | 2.5 | 12 | 3 | 20 | 118 | 5 | 2 |
| 2016 | CIN | 16 | 16 | 6–9–1 | 364 | 563 | 64.7 | 4,206 | 7.5 | 86 | 18 | 8 | 91.8 | 46 | 184 | 4.0 | 15 | 4 | 41 | 264 | 9 | 3 |
| 2017 | CIN | 16 | 16 | 7–9 | 297 | 496 | 59.9 | 3,320 | 6.7 | 77 | 25 | 12 | 86.6 | 38 | 99 | 2.6 | 25 | 0 | 39 | 255 | 4 | 4 |
| 2018 | CIN | 11 | 11 | 5–6 | 226 | 365 | 61.9 | 2,566 | 7.0 | 49 | 21 | 11 | 89.6 | 16 | 99 | 6.2 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 157 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | CIN | 13 | 13 | 2–11 | 314 | 528 | 59.5 | 3,494 | 6.6 | 66 | 16 | 14 | 78.3 | 32 | 73 | 2.3 | 17 | 4 | 37 | 249 | 8 | 4 |
| 2020 | DAL | 11 | 9 | 4–5 | 216 | 333 | 64.9 | 2,170 | 6.5 | 69 | 14 | 8 | 87.3 | 28 | 114 | 4.1 | 13 | 0 | 24 | 184 | 2 | 1 |
| 2021 | CHI | 8 | 6 | 3–3 | 149 | 236 | 63.1 | 1,515 | 6.4 | 60 | 8 | 9 | 76.9 | 16 | 76 | 4.8 | 14 | 0 | 18 | 143 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | NO | 14 | 14 | 6–8 | 252 | 378 | 66.7 | 2,871 | 7.6 | 64 | 18 | 9 | 95.2 | 30 | 54 | 1.8 | 14 | 0 | 25 | 189 | 5 | 1 |
| 2023 | CAR | 3 | 1 | 0–1 | 34 | 58 | 58.6 | 361 | 6.2 | 47 | 2 | 0 | 88.4 | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | CAR | 6 | 5 | 1–4 | 106 | 160 | 66.3 | 989 | 6.2 | 39 | 7 | 6 | 82.0 | 11 | 34 | 3.1 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 37 | 2 | 0 |
| Career | 175 | 168 | 84−82−2 | 3,514 | 5,614 | 62.6 | 39,500 | 7.0 | 86 | 253 | 150 | 87.5 | 482 | 1,511 | 3.1 | 25 | 22 | 355 | 2,318 | 52 | 27 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2011 | CIN | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 27 | 42 | 64.3 | 257 | 6.1 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 51.4 | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 33 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | CIN | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 14 | 30 | 46.7 | 127 | 4.2 | 45 | 0 | 1 | 44.7 | 4 | 15 | 3.8 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | CIN | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 29 | 51 | 56.9 | 334 | 6.5 | 49 | 1 | 2 | 67.0 | 5 | 26 | 5.2 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 2014 | CIN | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 18 | 35 | 51.4 | 155 | 4.4 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 63.4 | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | CIN | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career | 4 | 4 | 0–4 | 88 | 158 | 55.7 | 873 | 5.5 | 49 | 1 | 6 | 57.8 | 16 | 92 | 5.8 | 16 | 0 | 12 | 61 | 4 | 2 | |
Dalton is aChristian. He has spoken about his faith, saying, "Not very many people get a chance to play in the NFL. To start—and start as a rookie—I feel so blessed. So many things had to fall right to be where I am. I thank God every day." Dalton says one of his favoriteBible verses is1 Peter 5:6.[190][191]
On July 9, 2011, Dalton married his longtime girlfriend, Jordan Jones, whom he met atTCU. In July 2014, Jones gave birth to the couple's first son.[192] Their second son was born in March 2017.[193] Their third child, a daughter, was born in January 2019.[194]
Dalton and his wife founded the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation, which aims to help families and children in need. After Dalton helped theCincinnati Bengals defeat theBaltimore Ravens 31–27 in Week 17 of the2017 season, which allowed theBuffalo Bills to enter the playoffs, many Bills fans donated to his foundation in gratitude for helping their team snap their 17-year playoff drought. In less than a week, donations exceeded $360,000 from over 16,000 donors. Most donations were in the amount of $17, which symbolized the 17-year playoff drought that ended with the Bengals' victory over the Ravens. Dalton and his wife thanked Buffalo Bills fans by renting five billboards in the Buffalo area that read "Thank you, Buffalo, and good luck."[195][196][197]
He has been nicknamed the "Red Rifle", a reference to both his throwing arm strength and his hair color.[198][199]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)the Panthers have also agreed to terms on a new three-year deal with center Bradley Bozeman and agreed to a two-year deal with backup quarterback Andy Dalton.
