Andy Dalton spent nine seasons in Cincinnati.
Dalton replaced Carson Palmer upon arrival as a second-round draft choice. Palmer held out and retired before the Bengals traded him to the Raiders during the 2011 season.
His first five seasons, Dalton went 50-26-1 and led the Bengals to the postseason all five seasons. He could not get them past the wild-card round, though.
Still, Dalton, one of the NFL’s all-time nice guys, won over Bengals fans with his play and with his off-field contributions to the city.
So it should come as no surprise that Dalton didn’t waste anytime in showing his appreciation to Cincinnati. A day after agreeing to terms with Dallas, where he makes his offseason home, Dalton posted a thank you note on social media.
“Thank you Cincinnati for the past nine years,” Dalton wrote on Instagram. “There are countless memories that will be with me forever. I am thankful for the friendships, my teammates, coaches, and the organization. Y’all pushed me to be a better everyday. Thank you to the Cincinnati community for supporting the @ajdfoundation. We could not have made the impact we did without y’all. Thank you @jjdalton5 for always supporting me and being by my side every step of the way. I am blessed that we are on this journey together. We will always cherish our time in Cincinnati. Who Dey!”
The Cowboys are scheduled to play at Cincinnati this season, which, if the game is played, the city should return the sentiment when he gets back to town. The Bengals made the postseason only twice in the 20 seasons before Dalton arrived, and they have not returned since 2015.
Their future is in Joe Burrow’s hands now.