First and foremost a terrific team leader who brings great qualities behind center: a good arm, great accuracy, solid game-calling, and above-average overall skills.
Flaws:
Lacks ideal NFL quarterback size, so will need to polish his footwork and improve his scrambling ability to excel at the pro level.
Career Potential:
Above-average, promising quarterback.
Career Honors & Awards
League
Honor
Description
NFL
Named to play in Pro Bowl
2011 (injury replacement)
Movements & Injuries
2011
7/29/2011
Signed by the Cincinnati Bengals to a four-year contract.
Career Transactions
2011
4/29/2011
Drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2nd round (35th Overall) in 2011.
Player News
Andy Dalton working on dropping back quicker | 05/22/2013 12:19 PM
News
The Bengals are working on quickening the time Andy Dalton drops back in the pocket, as well as his ability to throw the deep ball.
Cincinnati Enquirer
Impact
"We got it where we need to get it," said QBs coach Ken Zampese. "It's better than it was and we just have to get used to the timing of live guys running. With the OTAs we get more chances to keep working on it." Football Outsiders pinned Dalton with 17 coverage sacks last season, and he posted the fourth-lowest QB rating among AFC passers on passes over 20 yards in the air. It's a make or break year for the third-year quarterback.
Andy Dalton took 17 coverage sacks in 2012 | 05/16/2013 11:21 PM
News
Football Outsiders charted Andy Dalton with taking 17 coverage sacks last season.
Tom Gower on Twitter
Impact
That was the highest total in the league. The Bengals' line "allowed" 46 sacks last season, which was the seventh-most, but Dalton's propensity to hold onto the ball contributed greatly to that. The Bengals have a strong group of blockers, and our own Evan Silva ranked them ninth in his offensive line rankings.
Bengals OC: Dalton has 'long way to go' | 03/05/2013 5:17 PM
News
Speaking in a Tuesday radio interview, Bengals OC Jay Gruden conceded Andy Dalton has "a long way to go."
ESPN.com
Impact
"He's done some great things for a second-year quarterback. ... But we feel like he has not come close to his potential," Gruden said. "That's our job to get it out of him. And he knows he's gotta play better." Gruden specifically mentioned Dalton's touch and deep-ball accuracy as things he must improve. Dalton's weak arm makes the latter unlikely to get better.
Bengals on the look out for young backup QB | 01/21/2013 9:56 AM
News
The Bengals may be looking for a young quarterback in the draft this year to replace impending free agent Bruce Gradkowski as Andy Dalton's backup.
bengals.com
Impact
Cincinnati isn't trying to use an early-round pick on a signal caller to push Dalton, but they could be interested in snagging a competent quarterback in the mid rounds similar to what the Redskins did last year using a fourth-round pick on Kirk Cousins. Dalton's rookie contract runs through 2014.
Gruden: 'I think Andy is the guy' at QB | 01/08/2013 6:56 PM
News
Bengals OC Jay Gruden brushed off concerns over Andy Dalton's late-season fade, expressing confidence in him as the quarterback of the future.
bengals.com
Impact
"I think Andy is the guy. If you compare his two-year stats to Drew Brees and the other great quarterbacks now, I think you'd be surprised what he's done his first two years," Gruden said. "Obviously he has shown some flaws he has to work on, but every other quarterback in their first two years in the league has shown that." While Dalton entered the league with doubts about his physical limitations, it's a growing concern that he's grown more hesitant and regressed mentally.
Dalton struggles mightily as Bengals bounced | 01/05/2013 8:43 PM
News
Andy Dalton completed 14-of-30 passes for 127 yards and an interception in the Bengals' 19-13 Wild Card Round loss to the Texans.
Rotoworld.com
Impact
He was as bad as the stats suggest. Dalton played this game scared, afraid to pull the trigger and uncomfortable in the pocket. He finally started to find a fourth-quarter rhythm only to badly overshoot A.J. Green on a bomb attempt with Cincinnati down 19-13 and under four minutes left. Green had separation; it was just a bad -- and ultimately season-ending -- throw by Dalton. Dalton's final fantasy stats placed him 12th among quarterbacks, but he has never played well against top defenses and seems to be running into a brick wall in terms of development. Due to Dalton's talent limitations, we wouldn't expect him to make much if any of a 2013 leap.