Dalton was selected by the Bengals in the second round (thirty-fifth overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft and signed a four-year, $5.2 million contract. Under a West Coast-style offensive scheme Dalton and receiver A.J. Green, the Bengals 2011 first-round selection from the University of Georgia, have become a prolific quarterback/receiver combination. Dalton and Green broke NFL records for completions and yards for a rookie quarterback/receiver combination, even without the benefit of an offseason.
Dalton is just one of three quarterbacks in NFL history to have thrown for over 3000 yards in each of his first three seasons, joining Cam Newton and Peyton Manning, and just one of three to have passed for at least 20 touchdowns in each of his first three seasons, joining Manning and Dan Marino. Dalton is the only quarterback to lead the Cincinnati Bengals to three consecutive playoff berths, and just one of five quarterbacks to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons. He is also the Bengals franchise record holder for passing yards and touchdowns in a season.
Due to his red hair, Dalton has been nicknamed The Red Rifle by Bengals fans.
High school career
Andy Dalton attended Katy High School in Katy, Texas. Dalton split time as a junior in 2004 and then started only one full season at quarterback for Katy as a senior in 2005. He led the Tigers to the state finals that year 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
Andy Dalton committed to Texas Christian University. He 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 Baylor, TCU head coach Gary Patterson named Dalton the starter. Dalton was named the 2007 Texas Bowl MVP in TCU's 20-13 victory over Houston. 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.
In the 2008 season, Dalton led TCU to an 11-2 record, finishing in 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 Boise State.
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 Boise State.
On September 4, 2010, Andy Dalton recorded his thirtieth victory as the Horned Frogs starting quarterback, passing Sammy Baugh as TCU's all-time wins leader. Against Baylor, Dalton completed 21 of 23 pass attempts (a career-best 91.3%) for 267 yards and two touchdowns. His team won a second consecutive Mountain West Conference Championship. On January 1, 2011, Dalton, who completed 194 of 293 passes for 2638 yards for 26 touchdowns during his senior season, led his team to a 21-19 victory over #4 ranked Wisconsin 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, barely missing out on a BCS National Championship. TCU was just one of two teams with a perfect record in 2010 along with Auburn, who won the BCS National Championship that year.
Dalton holds school career records for wins (42), touchdown passes (71), passing yards (10,314), pass attempts (1,317), completions (812), and completion percentage (61.6). He also holds single-season records for touchdown passes (27), set in the 2010 season; and attempts (371), set in the 2007 season. He also holds the single game record for highest completion percentage, 91.3 percent, which was set against Baylor in 2010. Dalton is also the MWC career leader in total offense (11,925 yards) and plays from scrimmage (1,730).
College Statistics
Professional career
2011 NFL Combine
Cincinnati Bengals
2011 season
After Dalton was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, there was much speculation over who would be the Bengals' starting quarterback, Dalton or veteran Bruce Gradkowski. Carson Palmer, the first overall draft pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, demanded to be traded or released, and was eventually traded later in the season. On August 8, 2011, before their first pre-season game versus 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.
Andy Dalton's first NFL regular season start came on September 11, 2011, 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 1 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, Dalton led a comeback, completing 19 of 29 pass attempts for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns in the second half alone, and achieving a passer rating of 107.0 for the game. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis later noted that it was during the Denver game when he realized that the Bengals had their quarterback of the future. In a 27-17 victory against the Indianapolis Colts on October 16, 2011, Dalton completed 25 of 32 passes for 264 yards and 1 touchdown. In that game, Dalton had a season-high 78.1 completion percentage and 111.5 passer rating.
On November 3, 2011, Dalton was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for October. Dalton led the Bengals to a 4-0 record with 909 yards passing and 6 touchdowns in the month. Dalton then threw for 217 yards and a season-high 3 touchdowns with no interceptions against the Tennessee Titans in a comeback 24-17 victory on November 6, earning him Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors. On November 27, Dalton passed for 270 yards and a touchdown for a 105.6 passer rating in a comeback 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns, again winning Rookie of the Week. This game featured a 51-yard strike from Dalton to AJ 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 (vs. Buffalo, at Jacksonville, at Tennessee, and vs. Cleveland). 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 eight 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, as well as Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson the following season.
At the conclusion 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 QB Cam Newton, New Orleans Saints TE Jimmy Graham, New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski, and Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh.
Dalton was named initially as a Pro Bowl Alternate in his first year, and was added to the AFC Pro Bowl roster after the New England 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. During the 2012 Pro Bowl, Dalton threw for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns for a passer rating of 152.1.
2012 season
In the second game of the season on September 16, 2012, Dalton guided the Bengals to a 34-27 victory at home over the Cleveland Browns. He completed 24 of 31 passes for 318 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception, for a 128.2 passer rating. In the following game at the Washington Redskins, Dalton completed 19 of 27 passes for 328 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception, for a season-high 132.9 passer rating, in leading the Bengals to a 38-31 win. Furthermore, Dalton 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 AJ Green, then again flanked as a receiver while BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for a touchdown via a direct snap. The following week at the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dalton threw for 244 yards and had three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in leading the Bengals to a 27-10 victory.
On October 14, 2012, Dalton threw for a career-high 381 yards to go with three touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns, but also threw three interceptions as the Bengals fell to the Browns 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 in a 31-13 game, in which Dalton 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 efforts against the Giants, Dalton was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. The following week, the Bengals beat the Kansas City Chiefs 28-6 as Dalton completed 18 of 29 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns thrown (a 109.8 passer rating) while adding a rushing touchdown.
On November 25, 2012, 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, 2012 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, his 21-yard throw to AJ Green with fourteen seconds remaining set up the game-winning field goal, propelling the Bengals to a 13-10 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 Bengals win over the Baltimore Ravens. This marked Dalton's 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 an open AJ Green for what would have been the go-ahead touchdown.
2013 GENERAL: Has started Games 1-15 and has posted 91.0 passer rating, fourth in AFC and 10th in NFL … Has passed 342-for-550 (62.2 percent) for 4015 yards with 31 TDs and 16 INTs ... Ranks second in AFC in TD passes, and ranks fifth in yards and completions … 55-for-160 rushing with one TD, with several key gains on third and fourth downs.
2013 GAME-BY-GAME: On Sept. 8 at Chicago, passed 26-for-33 (career-best 78.8 percent) for 282 yards, two TDs and two INTs (97.2 rating) ... Led two TD drives of 90 or more yards (97 and 91) at Chicago, marking first game in which Bengals had two 90-yard TD drives since 1991 ... Went 25-for-45 for 280 yards with one TD and no INTs Sept. 16 vs. Pittsburgh ... Passed 20-for-28 for 235-2-1 (105.5 rating) Sept. 22 vs. Green Bay ... Also lost a fumble on a sack vs. Packers ... On Sept. 29 at Cleveland, passed 23-for-43 for 206 yards with no TDs, an INT, with one lost fumble, and rushed four-for-13, including a team-long 10-yarder ... Went 20-for-27 (74.1 percent) for 212 yards with no TDs and one INT Oct. 6 vs. New England, and rushed six-for-25, including five-yarder to Patriots one-yard line that set up game’s only TD ... Posted a career-best 135.9 passer rating Oct. 20 at Detroit, hitting 24-of-34 (70.6 percent) for 372 yards with three TDs and no INTs ... His 372 passing yards at Detroit are third-most in his career and his most in a win ... Went 19-for-30 for 325 yards with a career-high five TDs and one INT (125.7 passer rating) Oct. 27 vs. the Jets, third consecutive game of eclipsing 300 yards and 100 passer rating ... Went 32-for-53 (60.4 percent) with 338 yards Oct. 31 at Miami, with no TDs and three INTs ... Passed 24-for-51 (47.1 percent) for 274 yards with two TDs and three INTs Nov. 10 at Baltimore, and had three rushes for first downs on third- or fourth-down plays ... Went 13-for-27 (48.1 percent) for 93 yards with three TDs and two INTs Nov. 17 vs. Cleveland ... Went 14-for-23 (60.9 percent) for 190 yards with one TD and one INT Dec. 1 at San Diego ... Posted a 120.5 passer rating Dec. 8 vs. Indianapolis, going 24-for-35 for 275 with 3 TDs and no INTs, and also rushed five-for-11, including an eight-yard TD run, his first of the season ... Passed 25-for-44 (56.8 percent) for 230 yards with two TDs and no INTs Dec. 15 at Pittsburgh, and rushed four-for-20 … On Dec. 22 vs. Minnesota, posted career-best 136.5 passer rating (27-for-38 for 366-4-0), hitting plus-four differential in TD passes to INTs for third time in his career.
Career statistics
Personal life
Andy Dalton married Jordan Jones in July 2011. The two have started a charity in the Greater Cincinnati area helping needy children and families. They are expecting their first child in summer 2014.
Dalton is a Protestant Christian. Dalton has spoken about his faith saying, "Not very many people get a chance to play in the NFL. To start—and start as a rookie—I feel so blessed. So many things had to fall right to be where I am. I thank God every day." Dalton says one of his favorite Bible verses is 1 Peter 5:6.
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