Andy Dalton's Real Contract: 6-years, $96 million, Only $25 Million Guaranteed

Andy Dalton, known in some parts of Ohio as the Big Red Postseason Turnover Machine, supposedly got a 6-year, $115 million contract from the Bengals, his agent told ESPN this morning.

But now, further details are being revealed, and that $115 million figure is a pipe dream. His real contract: 6-years, $96 million, and he’s got to win in the playoffs to come close to getting that extra $19 million to push him into the nine-figure range.

Dalton has been a colossal disappointment in three postseasons so far: One touchdown, six interceptions, just 56 percent completions and a measly 5.8 yards per attempt. Dalton was poor in two games at Houston – three interceptions in his first career playoff game, and then completing just 46 percent of his passes in a loss the following year – and the former TCU QB committed two costly turnovers in an embarrassing home loss to the Chargers this past January.

It would be lunacy to give him $115 million, right?

Right.

So they gave him an incentive-laden deal, one that guarantees him only $25 million, according to Pro Football Talk:

"The contract nevertheless remains, like Kaepernick’s, mostly a year-to-year proposition, with Dalton being guaranteed as a practical matter two years and $25 million. That’s a lot more than he would have made over the next two seasons if he’d played out his rookie deal and then been slapped with the franchise tag. Beyond 2015, however, it’s a one-year-at-a-time existence no different than Kaepernick’s."

Colin Kaepernick got $61 million guaranteed this summer.

Jay Cutler got $54 million guaranteed back in January.

Matt Stafford got $41.5 million guaranteed last summer.

So upon closer inspection, the Bengals didn’t overpay, and may have acted prudent with their quarterback. What a novel concept!