Bengals fire OC

The Cowboys are signing QB Andy Dalton to a 1-year deal, according to multiple reports. It's a $3 million pact with incentives up to $7 million. It's a little surprising to see Dalton settle for a clear backup job so quickly after his Bengals release, but that suggests New England and Jacksonville were not options. Now we're back to Cam Newton as the only free-agent QB with a shot to challenge for a starting job. In Dallas, Dalton represents a big upgrade over Cooper Rush as Dak Prescott's backup. Prescott, though, accounted for every QB passing attempt for the Cowboys over the past 2 years.

The Bengals have released QB Andy Dalton. They looked for a trade partner but had no leverage with Dalton set to count nearly $18 million against the cap. We'll see where he lands, but New England looks like the only spot where Dalton would have a legitimate chance to win a starting job. This move confirms that rookie Joe Burrow will be under center for Cincinnati come Week 1.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Bengals have decided to return QB Andy Dalton to the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Jets. Amid a lost season, it probably made sense to take a look at what Ryan Finley had. The answer was not much. Dalton's return stabilizes the outlook for WR Tyler Boyd, who enjoyed an impressive outing in Week 12 even with Finley. Dalton could be a fantasy option for some against the Jets this weekend and at Miami in Week 16. If you're really hard up -- or in a 2-QB or superflex league -- his Week 14 trip to Cleveland also isn't a bad matchup. Dalton sits 14th in fantasy points per game among QBs for the season, tied with Drew Brees and ahead of Tom Brady.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Bengals will have a new QB when they return from their Week 9 bye. Cincinnati plans to bench Andy Dalton in favor of rookie Ryan Finley for the Week 10 home date with Baltimore. The Bengals moved up in Round 4 to draft Finley this spring after a career that included 3 starting seasons for N.C. State. Finley averaged 7.7 yards per pass attempt for the Wolfpack, with a 4.4% TD rate and 64.5% completions. He also had a solid preseason for the Bengals, completing 73.4% of his passes at 6.5 yards per attempt, with 3 TDs and 1 INT. We're certainly not boosting our fantasy outlooks for any of Cincinnati's skill-position players for a 4th-round rookie at QB, but change probably can't hurt the sputtering offense. Football Outsiders rated the Bengals 30th in overall offensive DVOA heading into Week 8, including just 27th in passing offense.

Bengals rookie OT Jonah Williams will "likely" miss the entire 2019 season after undergoing surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, the team announced. It's a massive blow to a team that was planning on its 1st-rounder stepping right in at LT. Cordy Glenn is now expected to move back to that spot. He ranked 60th among 80 qualifying OTs in Pro Football Focus' 2018 grades.