Andy Dalton
Andrew Gregory Dalton is an American professional football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Nicknamed "the Red Rifle", he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, winning MW Offensive Player of the Year twice and becoming the school's leader in quarterback wins. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft.
During his first nine seasons with the Bengals, Dalton led the team to five consecutive playoff appearances from 2011 to 2015 and received three Pro Bowl selections. In his first season, he and wide receiver A. J. Green set records for completions and yards by a rookie quarterback/receiver combination. Dalton also set the Bengals franchise records for passing touchdowns, single-season passing yards, and single-season passing touchdowns.
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 the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints for one year each. Dalton joined the Panthers in 2023.
Early life
Dalton attended Katy High School in Katy, Texas, where he played for the Tigers football 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 to Southlake Carroll, 34–20. As a senior, he threw for 2,877 yards with 42 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. That year, he was named the Greater Houston Area offensive player of the year by the Houston Chronicle.College career
Dalton committed to Texas Christian University on October 19, 2005.2006 and 2007 seasons
Dalton was redshirted 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. Entering the 2007 season, Dalton was in competition with Jackson to be the starting quarterback. Two weeks before the season opener against the Baylor Bears, TCU head coach Gary Patterson named Dalton the starter. He was named the 2007 Texas Bowl MVP in TCU's 20–13 victory over the Houston Cougars. Dalton finished his redshirt freshman season with 2,459 passing yards, ten touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. 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.2008 season
In the 2008 season, Dalton led TCU to an 11–2 record, finishing second place in the Mountain West Conference and seventh in the national AP Poll. He was named the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl MVP in the Horned Frogs' 17–16 win over the Boise State Broncos. He finished the 2008 season with 2,242 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions.2009 season
In the 2009 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 a BCS berth. The Horned Frogs lost 17–10 in the Fiesta Bowl to the Boise State Broncos. He finished the 2009 season with 2,756 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.2010 season
On September 4, 2010, Dalton recorded his 30th victory as the Horned Frogs starting quarterback, passing Sammy Baugh as TCU's all-time wins leader. Against the Baylor Bears, Dalton completed 21 of 23 pass attempts for 267 yards and two touchdowns. 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 #4 Wisconsin Badgers in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. His TCU football team finished the season with a perfect 13–0 record and #2 ranking in the AP Poll. The only other team with a perfect record, the Auburn Tigers, won the BCS National Championship that year. Dalton finished the 2010 season with 2,857 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He finished in ninth place on the Heisman Trophy voting.Dalton held school career records for wins, passing yards, pass attempts, completions, and completion percentage at the time he graduated, but a few years later, Trevone Boykin surpassed most of Dalton's records. Dalton also held the Mountain West career leader in total offense and plays from scrimmage.
College statistics
Professional career
Cincinnati Bengals
2011 season
On April 29, 2011, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Dalton in the second round, as the 35th overall pick, in the 2011 NFL draft. Out of the twelve quarterbacks that were chosen in the 2011 NFL Draft, he was the fifth selected.After Dalton was selected by the Bengals, there was much speculation over whether Dalton or veteran Bruce Gradkowski would start at quarterback. Carson Palmer, the first overall draft pick in the 2003 NFL draft, demanded to be traded or released and was traded later in the season to the Oakland 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.
On August 8, before their first pre-season game against the Detroit Lions, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis released his first depth chart per NFL rules but noted that it meant little. The depth chart had Dalton listed as the first-string quarterback, followed by Gradkowski.
Dalton's first NFL regular-season start came on September 11, on the road against the Cleveland 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 a passer rating of 102.4. The Bengals won the game, 27–17, Dalton's first divisional AFC North victory as well as first win against the divisional rival Browns. Dalton's second game on was also on the road, against the Denver 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. During a Week 6 27–17 victory over the Indianapolis 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.
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. During Week 9, Dalton then threw for 217 yards and a season-high three touchdowns with no interceptions against the Tennessee Titans in a comeback 24–17 victory, earning him NFL Rookie of the Week honors. 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 to A. J. Green with only 1:08 remaining in the fourth quarter, setting up the Bengals' game-winning field goal. By the end of the season, Dalton had led the Bengals to a 9–7 record and a berth in the NFL playoffs.
On January 7, 2012, the Bengals faced the T. J. Yates-led Houston Texans in the Wild 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. Dalton completed over 64 percent of his passes but also had three turnovers as the Texans won the game, 31–10.
During his rookie season, Dalton had four wins featuring fourth-quarter comebacks. 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 rookie Cam Newton and also Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, and Charlie Conerly.
At the end of the season, Dalton received the Emerging Player Award from the NFL Players Association during the NFLPA PULSE Awards. The other nominees for the award were Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, and Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
Dalton was named initially as a Pro Bowl Alternate in his first year, and was added to the American Football Conference Pro Bowl roster after the Patriots won the AFC Championship, forcing Tom Brady to withdraw. Dalton and Newton became the first pair of rookie quarterbacks to make the Pro Bowl in the same season.
2012 season
During Week 2, Dalton guided the Bengals to a 34–27 victory over the Cleveland Browns. He completed 24 of 31 passes for 318 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, for a 128.2 passer rating. In the next game against the Washington 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. Furthermore, he lined up as a wide receiver on the first play from scrimmage of the game, acting as a decoy while wildcat quarterback Mohamed Sanu threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to A. J. Green, then again flanked as a receiver while BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for a touchdown via a direct snap. The following week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dalton threw for 244 yards and had three touchdowns in leading the Bengals to a 27–10 road victory.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. This was the second game in what would become a four-game losing streak. Dalton and the Bengals rebounded by defeating the New 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 94.5 QBR. For his performance against the Giants, Dalton was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career. In the next game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Dalton completed 18 of 29 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns thrown while adding a rushing touchdown in the 28–6 road victory.
On November 25, in a much-hyped game with the Oakland Raiders due to the return of former Bengals quarterback Carson 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. In the fourth quarter, an unnecessary roughness penalty by Lamarr Houston on Dalton was one part of a sequence of events leading to the ejections of Andrew 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, joining Peyton Manning and Dan Marino.
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 the San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. On December 23, against the Pittsburgh 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 the NFL playoffs. 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. 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 the Baltimore Ravens. This marked his first victory over the divisional rival Ravens and capped a 10–6 regular-season record.
On January 5, 2013, Dalton and the Bengals faced the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs. In a defensive struggle with neither Dalton nor Texans quarterback Matt 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.