A quarterback shakeup soon could be on the horizon for the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals reportedly were close to trading backup quarterback AJ McCarron last week, but the deal with the Cleveland Browns ultimately fell through at the last second. Now, it appears there’s a chance McCarron could be Cincinnati’s QB of the future.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that McCarron has filed a grievance against the Bengals in hopes of becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason as opposed to a restricted free agent, which he’s scheduled to be. However, given Andy Dalton’s contract situation, there’s a chance Cincy’s current starting signal-caller could be the one to go.
As Schefter notes, Dalton’s $13.7 million salary for next season is not guaranteed, which would allow the Bengals to trade or release him without any salary cap backlash. With that in mind, Schefter speculates that Dalton could draw interest from teams, including the Browns and the Washington Redskins. Both Browns head coach Hue Jackson and Redskins head coach Jay Gruden previously served as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator and reportedly enjoyed working with Dalton.
Cleveland is expected to be in business for a QB this offseason, as its current quarterback depth chart is mediocre, to say the least. Washington’s level of interest, however, solely will be based on whether Kirk Cousins departs from the nation’s capital.
Cincinnati has disappointed this season, so maybe a change under center is what’s needed to get the team back into playoff form.
Thumbnail photo via David Kohl/USA TODAY Sports Images
