Sunday 3 May 2020 07:49, UK
The Dallas Cowboys have moved to acquire newly free agent quarterback Andy Dalton on a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $3m, the team have confirmed.
News of Dalton's next move comes days after his nine-year stay with the Cincinnati Bengals, the side who drafted him in 2011, came to an end, opening the door for 2020 No 1 overall pick Joe Burrow to start in week one.
Dalton, a Texas native, will join up with Mike McCarthy's new-look Cowboys as the presumptive back-up to starter Dak Prescott.
The overall total value of the deal is worth up to $7M, and it represents the biggest move Dallas have made to strengthen their quarterback position since Prescott was drafted in 2016.
Prescott himself is in negotiations with the Cowboys front office over a new long-term contract, and both sides have until July 15 to sign a new deal after the quarterback had the franchise tag placed on him.
But the signing of 32-year-old Dalton is not thought to be an indicator as to how well those talks are progressing.
In nine seasons with the Bengals, Dalton started 133 games and led the franchise's best stretch of play-off appearances with five consecutive seasons culminating in trips to the postseason between 2011 and 2015.
Cincinnati lost in the first round each time, setting an NFL record, but Dalton's 70-61-2 record as a starter is second best by a Bengals quarterback with at least 10 starts, behind only Virgil Carter.
Dalton, who also holds the club records for touchdown passes (204) and completions (2,757), was benched for three games mid-way through the Bengals' 2-14 campaign in 2019, signalling the end of his time in Ohio.
