Andy Dalton and the New England Patriots are getting a lot of attention

The NFL media has been talking a lot about the potential of Andy Dalton and the New England Patriots being a good fit if Tom Brady goes elsewhere.

A lot will happen between now and NFL Opening Day 2020. Odds are good to great that the Cincinnati Bengals will have a rookie quarterback under center, and that veteran Andy Dalton will also be under center, but in a different city.

Dalton and his future in Cincinnati are interesting, if for no other reason than it seemed all but a lock he was done at the Bengals bye week this past season. One team, however, is emerging as a potential and even preferred destination.

Enter Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Of course, the legend that is Tom Brady would have to vacate the premises, and that may or may not happen. But the idea of Dalton and Darth Vader on the sidelines is an interesting one to ponder.

It’s also logical. New England doesn’t have the heir apparent on the sidelines, as Jimmy Garoppolo is starting Saturday afternoon for the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. So, an opening could exist for a player like Dalton. The Patriots also aren’t likely to find a quarterback in the draft who can pick up where Brady left off in 2019.

Fact is, the Patriots are closer to the playoffs and even a Super Bowl than they aren’t. Their deficiencies are the type that can be fixed in free agency. Also, the idea that tight end Rob Gronkowski could be back on the field never seems to die, so that is an additional reason a veteran like Dalton makes sense in New England. Even legendary NFL writer Peter King has said Dalton is a quarterback Belichick would want to work with.

Granted, a lot has to happen with Brady and Dalton for any of this to happen. But with the Bengals AND Patriots at home as the playoffs unfold without both, it’s an intriguing possibility in mid-January.