CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals would probably prefer not to consider their future when they’re still mathematically in the playoff hunt.
But whether they like it or not, they have no choice but to shake things up with Andy Dalton out for the season for the first time since 2015. The reins will now be handed to Jeff Driskel, who has been groomed by the Bengals since they claimed him off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.
The Bengals clearly felt they had something in Driskel, and it was enough to keep him as the third quarterback on the active roster for all of the 2016 season. It was enough to give him the backup job over Matt Barkley this summer.
They felt comfortable enough with their options to not draft a quarterback high the past few years, and now they’ll see if that was a mistake. The Bengals’ only investments at the backup position since they drafted Dalton 35th overall in 2011 have been a fifth-round pick on AJ McCarron in 2014 and a seventh-round pick this year on Logan Woodside; neither is on the team now.
Whether the Bengals should move on from Dalton has been a topic of discussion for the past two seasons. If they wanted to do so, the time is now.
Dalton has two years remaining on a six-year, $96 million contract extension he signed in 2014, and the Bengals can move on next year without any dead money. They don’t have a deadline, either, as he does not have any roster bonuses that would require them to make an early move. Their options will be completely open, especially if they wanted to draft a quarterback and trade Dalton.
But it seems unlikely the Bengals would be starting anyone but Dalton on Day 1 of the 2019 season barring two possibilities: a total change in the coaching staff or a monster showing from Driskel.
Dalton has shown in the past that he has the capability to be very good when surrounded by the right cast. Before he got hurt in 2015, he was playing some of his best football, and had eight games with a quarterback rating of 100 or higher. But he appeared to regress in both 2016 and 2017 once Hue Jackson left and Ken Zampese took over as offensive coordinator.
Part of that could be attributed to roster changes and shaky offensive-line play, but it was also enough of a concern to wonder if the Bengals should give serious consideration to moving on from Dalton. He appeared to alleviate those concerns at the start of the 2018 season under the tutelage of quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, but as the injuries piled up, the offense seemed to sputter and take a step backward.
With the Bengals’ season spiraling downward after losing five of the past six games, it has become clear that the status quo hasn’t gotten results. Whether it’s because of the massive number of injuries, or the bad defensive play, or the inconsistent offense, the Bengals’ playoff hopes have become practically nonexistent.
The one positive from the Dalton injury is that Driskel will force Cincinnati (5-6) to change how its offense operates to some extent. Driskel is faster and more athletic than Dalton and can extend plays with his legs. And if he fails to generate any type of positive offensive momentum as the starter, the Bengals will know they need to go after a quarterback in some capacity, whether that’s as a backup to Dalton next season or someone they can truly groom for the future.
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