The Cincinnati Bengals chose to release Andy Dalton on Thursday morning, but it wasn't entirely their decision. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Dalton asked for his release from Cincinnati.
Andy Dalton asked for his release from the #Bengals, source said. https://t.co/jY4499hBsv
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 30, 2020
For months, the Bengals have been attempting to find a trade partner for Dalton to no avail. After failing to trade him, Cincinnati made it clear to Dalton that if he wanted out, they would release him, per ESPN's Dianna Russini.
The Bengals always said if Andy Dalton wanted out, they would release him. That’s what they did.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) April 30, 2020
Since last season, Dalton's name has been floated around as a possible trade candidate. But with teams in need of a quarterback quickly dissipating, his trade market was barren this offseason.
Prior to the 2020 NFL Draft, the Bengals seemed content with the idea of keeping Dalton on the team next season. While taking Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick, Cincinnati was looking forward to having the veteran quarterback serve as his mentor.
However, Dalton apparently wasn't interested in maintaining that role throughout the upcoming season. Therefore, he asked to be released and now he will have a chance to consider all of his options before signing with a new team.
Over the past nine seasons, Dalton has served as Cincinnati's starting quarterback. In his first four seasons with the Bengals, he was able to help the team advance into the postseason. Even though he failed to win a playoff game, playoff appearances were a welcomed sight in Cincinnati, having made the postseason just twice from 1991-2010.
The Bengals were prepared to enter next season with Dalton as their backup quarterback to Burrow. But apparently he had other plans, and has been granted his request to be released so he can start fresh somewhere else.
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