Bengals: Andy Dalton trade rumors continue to swirl in Indianapolis

Despite playing for a team who finished 2-14, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton remains the topic of trade rumors.

The 2020 NFL Combine continues to have a lot of news, or at least rumors that are centered around the Cincinnati Bengals. After Joe Burrow calmed the waters, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton became a hot topic for teams potentially needing a veteran signal-caller.

That’s right, potentially.

Friday saw Dalton and the Chicago Bears as a potential team that might be workable via trade. This is the same Bears organization who is reportedly not ready to give up on one time first overall pick, Mitchell Trubisky. The other team allegedly still in contention is the New England Patriots. Obviously, the Patriots angle is only relevant if quarterback Tom Brady decides to buck the conventional wisdom and leave for a team out west, like the Las Vegas Raiders or the Los Angeles Chargers.

Most interesting about all the Dalton hype, if you want to call it that, is it flies on the face of a 2-14 season that saw him benched by the organization after the team’s bye week. The other interesting piece of news is that Dalton could actually fetch as much as a second or third-round pick in return. That likely speaks to the fact that his veteran status has some inherent value, and teams close to that playoff or Super Bowl run think he’s the final piece.

Fans will know more in mid-March when the league season kicks off and free agency begins in earnest. If Brady and the Patriots make peace, Dalton can cross New England off the list. If the Bears are being honest, and Trubisky is their guy, He will need to look elsewhere.

If Andy Dalton is truly as valuable as the NFL media would imply, then the Bears and Pats are two of many potential suitors. In a season where the veteran free-agent quarterback is the bigger story than any rookie about to enter the NFL, Dalton may be as important to a team as his replacement is in Cincinnati.