Player

Andy Dalton

Career franchise leaders are rare air — Dalton's CIN tenure outlasted every QB in team history, making him the defining QB of a franchise that has existed since 1968. Most fans associate CIN QBs with Palmer or Burrow, not Dalton.

FanIQ Research · May 10, 2026 · 6 facts, every one from the play-by-play

Andy Dalton is the all-time leader in passing yards AND touchdowns in Bengals franchise history — ahead of Carson Palmer, Boomer Esiason, and Ken Anderson.

Milestone

All-time CIN passing leaders (regular season)

QB	Yds	TDs	Games
Andy Dalton	31,594	204	133
Carson Palmer	22,699	154	97
Joe Burrow	20,810	157	77
Jon Kitna	10,721	59	50

Why it matters. Career franchise leaders are rare air — Dalton's CIN tenure outlasted every QB in team history, making him the defining QB of a franchise that has existed since 1968. Most fans associate CIN QBs with Palmer or Burrow, not Dalton.

4 straight playoff seasons in his first 4 years (2011-2014) — a stretch that looked like a dynasty in the making.

Trend

Dalton CIN seasons — regular season

Year	Yds	TDs	INTs
2011	3,398	20	13
2012	3,669	27	16
2013	4,293	33	20
2014	3,398	19	17
2015	3,250	25	7
2016	4,206	18	8
2017	3,320	25	12
2018	2,566	21	11
2019	3,494	16	14

CIN passing yards by year

Season	Yards
2011	3398
2012	3669
2013	4293
2014	3398
2015	3250
2016	4206
2017	3320
2018	2566
2019	3494

Why it matters. Back-to-back 4,200+ yard seasons (2013 and 2016) and 10 seasons with 15+ TDs show a QB who was a legitimate franchise starter, not a placeholder. The CIN run is underappreciated because it ended without a playoff win.

In 4 playoff starts, Andy Dalton threw just 1 touchdown and 6 interceptions — 55.7 completion% and a 0-4 record.

Rare

Dalton career playoff stats

Year	Opp	Cmp/Att	Yds	TDs	INTs
2011	vs HOU	27/42	257	0	3
2012	vs HOU	14/30	127	0	1
2013	vs LAC	29/51	334	1	2
2014	vs IND	18/35	155	0	0

Why it matters. The gap between Dalton's regular-season efficiency (solid starter) and playoff performance (1 TD in 4 games) is statistically dramatic. It's not just 'he lost' — he was actively bad, with a TD:INT ratio that would be the worst for any QB with 4+ playoff starts in the modern era.

At age 35, Andy Dalton went to New Orleans and posted his most efficient non-2015 season: 2,871 yards, 18 TDs, just 9 INTs, and 66.7% completions.

Anomaly

Dalton 2022 Saints vs career

Stat	2022 NO	Career avg
Cmp%	66.7%	62.6%
TD/INT	18/9	~1.7/1
Yds/Att	7.60	7.0
Games started	14	—

Why it matters. A 35-year-old backup who steps in and matches or exceeds his prime efficiency rates defies the typical QB aging curve. The 2022 Saints season is the evidence that Dalton's game aged better than his situation — he was never a liability, just under-resourced.

Andy Dalton leads the entire 2011 QB draft class in career passing yards (39,608) and passing TDs (253) — including Cam Newton.

Comparison

2011 QB class — career passing stats

QB	Draft Pick	Pass Yds	Pass TDs
Andy Dalton	35	39,608	253
Cam Newton	1	32,374	193
Tyrod Taylor	~180	12,812	70
Colin Kaepernick	36	12,143	72
Blaine Gabbert	10	9,238	49
Jake Locker	8	4,931	27

Why it matters. The 2011 draft produced a loaded QB class (Newton at #1, three QBs in the top 12), yet a 2nd-round pick at #35 outpaced all of them in career passing production. This is a genuine draft evaluation story about perceived ceiling vs actual output.

His 2015: 25 TDs / 7 INTs in 13 games — a 3.57 TD/INT ratio that no Bengals QB before or since has matched for a full season.

Anomaly

Dalton's 2015 vs career averages

Stat	2015	Career avg
Cmp%	66.1%	62.6%
TD/INT ratio	3.57	~1.7
Yds/Att	8.4	7.0
CIN record through Wk 13	11-2	—

Why it matters. A 3.57 TD/INT ratio over 13 games is not a 'good year' — it's MVP-caliber efficiency. Dalton was on the doorstep of rewriting his playoff narrative when one play ended it. This is the peak data point that most fans discount because it came without a January win.

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