Report: Bengals to Bench Andy Dalton, Start Rookie Ryan Finley After Bye Week
The Cincinnati Bengals will bench quarterback Andy Dalton and start rookie Ryan Finley in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Cincinnati (0-8) has a bye in Week 9, giving Finley nearly two weeks to prepare for his first career game on Nov. 10.
Drafted in the second round in 2011, Dalton has been the Bengals' starting quarterback for the past eight-plus seasons. He is 68-58-2 and helped the team to five consecutive playoff appearances from 2011 to 2015. He has an 0-4 record in the postseason.
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Dalton—who turned 32 on Tuesday—has struggled mightily this season, with seven-time Pro Bowler A.J. Green (ankle) yet to make an appearance. The veteran has completed just 60.4 percent of his passes for 2,252 yards and nine touchdowns with eight interceptions. He has been sacked 29 times, the highest total in the NFL.
Dalton has lost 11 consecutive starts and 13 of his last 14.
After Cincinnati dropped to 0-7 on Oct. 20, first-year coach Zac Taylor did not rule out a quarterback change. When asked about potentially being benched in the lead-up to Week 8, Dalton said, "It hasn't been spoken in this building."
Now, the change will reportedly be made in the wake of Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London.
The Bengals used a fourth-round pick on Finley in April. The former NC State standout performed well in the preseason, completing 73.4 percent of his passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in three appearances.
The Bengals are one of two winless teams with the Miami Dolphins (0-7). Since Cincinnati is positioned to pick near the top of the draft in 2020, it may use the remainder of the season to see if Finley could be its quarterback of the future or if it will need to use its top pick on one.
Dalton is under contract through next year after he signed a six-year, $96 million extension in August 2014. His $17.5 million salary for 2020 is not guaranteed, per Spotrac.
Check out the latest episode of Stick to Football, including a discussion on who the Bengals will draft in 2020:
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