ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 03: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on prior to Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)It’s possible that New England moves on from Tom Brady this offseason, which is something that Patriots fans couldn’t have imagined last year.
There are many options on the market this offseason at quarterback. One intriguing option for New England next season could be Andy Dalton.
Dalton is technically under contract with the Cincinnati Bengals through next season, but the team is expected to take a quarterback at No. 1 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. This could open the door for a potential trade.
Peter King of NBC Sports believes Dalton might be a solid fit at quarterback in New England. The reason for that is because Belichick reportedly would like to work with the former TCU product.
“I think Bill Belichick would really like to work with Andy Dalton because Andy Dalton is a football player, you know? He’s not Tom Brady. He’s not gonna go down in the pantheon, I get it,” King said. “I think Andy Dalton would be a very compelling guy to either be their quarterback for a while or to be their bridge guy to the next quarterback or to take Jarrett Stidham under his wing as Brady did some this year and make the best of Jarrett Stidham for 2021 and beyond.”
Here’s the full take from King:
Dalton appeared in 13 games for the Bengals, as he totaled 3,494 passing yards and 16 touchdowns.
Cincinnati made the playoffs multiple times under Dalton, but the team never advanced past the AFC Wild Card Round.
It would certainly help Belichick’s legacy if he could make a playoff run with Dalton as his quarterback. But first, the Patriots will have to figure out if they’ll retain Brady in free agency.
