Andy Dalton wasted no time elevating the Carolina Panthers in his first start of the 2024 NFL season Sunday, becoming the first quarterback of the new year to throw 300 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. Not only did the veteran backup appear much more at ease than Bryce Young, the former No. 1 overall draft pick who was demoted two games into the season, but he also reminded everyone that, well, he still exists.
At 36, Dalton is among the older active players in the NFL. This is his 14th season at the professional level. History suggests that his sudden Panthers stardom, giving new coach Dave Canales his first career win, will ultimately give way to more mercurial results -- sooner rather than later, perhaps. Still, the fact he can still take the field and sling it like he did against Antonio Pierce's defense is a testament to his underrated durability on the NFL stage.
Consider how much has changed, for both Dalton and the NFL at large, since the veteran first entered the scene. Here's a timeline of notable Dalton happenings, emphasizing just how long the red-headed gunslinger has survived:
April 29, 2011: Dalton is drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. With Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer threatening retirement over a failed trade request, Cincy takes Dalton No. 35 overall out of TCU, quickly installing him as the starter at a position dominated by Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), Tom Brady (New England Patriots) and a young Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions). His arrival comes months after Aaron Rodgers won the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and Peyton Manning took his last snap with the Indianapolis Colts.
Jan. 1, 2012: Dalton leads his first playoff berth. His four fourth-quarter comebacks help Cincinnati finish with a 9-7 record and earn a spot in the postseason. Also drawing Offensive Rookie of the Year consideration, Dalton goes on to throw three picks in a 31-10 season-ending loss to the Houston Texans, led by rookie backup T.J. Yates. The New York Giants go on to win the Super Bowl, with Eli Manning outdueling Brady and the Patriots for a second time.
Nov. 27, 2012: Dalton continues his record pace. He becomes just the third player in NFL history at the time to throw at least 20 touchdown passes in each of his first two seasons, after Peyton Manning and Dan Marino.
Jan. 5, 2013: Dalton falls to the Texans in the playoffs once again. After guiding the Bengals to a 10-6 finish, headlined by late-year wins over division rivals in the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, he can't outdo a Houston team led by Matt Schaub, falling 19-13. The Ravens go on to win it all with a 28-year-old Joe Flacco.
Dec. 29, 2013: Dalton sets franchise records before another postseason flop. While leading the Bengals to yet another improved season, this time finishing 11-5 atop the AFC North, he throws 4,293 yards and 33 touchdowns. The breakout doesn't translate to the playoffs, however, as his three turnovers doom Cincy in a 27-10 wild-card loss to the San Diego Chargers, raising questions about his value as a postseason signal-caller.
Aug. 4, 2014: Dalton signs a six-year Bengals extension worth nearly $100 million. Before lucrative quarterback deals become near-daily talking points, Dalton strikes it rich despite an 0-3 playoff record.
Jan. 4, 2015: Dalton falls to 0-4 in the playoffs. Despite another 10-win finish with the Bengals, the quarterback throws double-digit interceptions for the fourth straight year, and manages just 155 passing yards against the Indianapolis Colts in a 26-10 wild-card defeat, leaving him winless in the postseason after five years.
Nov. 5, 2015: Dalton guides an 8-0 start, then gets sidelined. Back in Pro Bowl form, he feeds top wide receiver A.J. Green en route to the first unbeaten eight-game stretch in franchise history. Weeks later, the quarterback suffers a fractured thumb and misses games for the first time in his career, with A.J. McCarron taking over for the remainder of the year, including a fifth straight wild-card loss for the franchise.
Sept. 11, 2016: Dalton begins a four-year slide of missing the playoffs. Responsible for an enviable 50-26-1 record during his first five seasons, Dalton starts 2016 hot but can't elevate an aging Cincinnati roster during four straight losing campaigns. He misses five games due to another thumb injury in 2018, which also proves to be longtime coach Marvin Lewis' final season on the job.
Sept. 8, 2019: Dalton ushers in the Zac Taylor era. With Lewis out, the quarterback makes a splash in his first game under the former Los Angeles Rams coordinator, hired following L.A.'s run to Super Bowl LIII with Jared Goff. Dalton's career-high 418 yards against the Seattle Seahawks come in defeat, however.
Oct. 29, 2019: Dalton is benched for Ryan Finley, but returns weeks later. Cincinnati finally demotes the veteran after an 0-8 start, turning to the fourth-round rookie out of NC State, only to rename Dalton the starter following an 0-3 stretch with Finley. Dalton finishes the year under center, and leads a win in Week 17.
April 30, 2020: Dalton is released by the Bengals. One week after using the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on LSU star Joe Burrow, Cincinnati officially says goodbye. Dalton exits as the club's all-time leader in touchdown passes (204), with the second-most career victories (70) behind Hall of Fame finalist Ken Anderson. Burrow proceeds to miss half his rookie season with a torn ACL, but helps Cincy advance to the Super Bowl in 2021.
May 2, 2020: Dalton joins the Dallas Cowboys, then takes over for Dak Prescott. Resigned to a backup role, Dalton opens his first year outside of Cincinnati on the bench, only to replace Prescott following the latter's season-ending ankle injury in October. He goes 4-5 as the replacement starter, throwing 14 touchdowns to eight picks as Dallas finishes 6-10 and out of the playoffs under new coach Mike McCarthy.
March 17, 2021: Dalton joins the Chicago Bears, who quickly tab him "QB1." Freshly split from former top-two draft pick Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears publicly proclaim the 33-year-old Dalton an unquestioned starter, only to spend a first-round pick on Justin Fields, then turn to Fields as the permanent starter following a Dalton knee injury. The ex-Bengals starter ends up going 3-3, with more picks (9) than scores (8), in spot starts.
March 29, 2022: Dalton continues his backup tour with the New Orleans Saints. Embracing the journeyman stage of his career, he becomes Jameis Winston's new No. 2, only to take over for an injured Winston by Week 4. Dalton goes on to keep New Orleans in the wild-card picture with arguably his most productive performance in years, throwing for 18 touchdowns and nine picks in 14 starts.
March 15, 2023: Dalton swaps sides in the NFC South. Fresh off his reasonable relief outing for New Orleans, he lands a two-year deal with the Panthers to mentor No. 1 draft pick Bryce Young. Initially, Dalton is ruled the expected Week 1 starter under coach Frank Reich, only to lose the summer competition to the rookie.
Sept. 24, 2023: Dalton throws more than any QB in relief of Young. Replacing the injured rookie as the Panthers' top backup early in his first year, Dalton throws 58 passes against the Seahawks in a losing effort, the most by any signal-caller for the entire season. He at least keeps Carolina competitive as a result.
Sept. 16, 2024: Dalton is named the Panthers' starter. With Young struggling mightily in an 0-2 start to his second season, already coming off a hapless 2-14 rookie campaign, new coach Dave Canales promotes the 36-year-old Dalton to the top job. The veteran proceeds to throw 319 yards and three scores in a near-flawless rout of the Las Vegas Raiders, giving the Panthers their most convincing victory in years.
