Dolphins, Bengals have quarterback decisions ahead

Let me preface this by stating something right off the bat… the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals should both move on from the current quarterbacks, and it’s likely that neither one will.

Alright, now indulge me for another 500 words on the thought process. In Miami, the Dolphins are looking for their first trip to the AFC Championship Game since 1992. Hell, the Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since George W. Bush was in the White House, and haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Dan Marino retired following the 1999 season.

Ryan Tannehill is decent, but barring being surrounded by the ’85 Bears, he’s never going to the Super Bowl. In his career, the former Texas A&M star has thrown for 4,000 yards in a season exactly twice, and he’s never hit the 30-touchdown mark. Not to suggest Tannehill is poor — he isn’t — but he’s not putting the team on another level with his play.

Then you factor in that he’s 30 in July, and the decision to move on should be ever more obvious. Miami could cut Tannehill and save $59 million over the next three seasons with only $6 million in dead cap. The Dolphins could use that money to repair and upgrade the rest of the roster while getting a quarterback in this year’s loaded class.

It’s a no-brainer, but Tannehill is the safe option, and safe always wins out in the NFL.

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Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, the same saga is unfolding. The Bengals haven’t seen a playoff win since George W’s father was in office. Andy Dalton led the Bengals to the postseason in each of his first five seasons at the helm, only to lose in the Wild Card round on each occasion. The last two seasons have seen Cincinnati flounder, missing the playoffs on both tries.

Dalton, 30, has three years left on his deal for a total of $50.2 million, cheap by today’s standards. Incredibly, though, Dalton’s dead one would only be $2.4 million next year and then nothing after that. The Bengals should jump at the chance to move on from Dalton. Then, either get aggressive in the first round of the draft for his replacement, or hop into the free-agent market.

The Bengals have to do something differently after so much futility over the past 25 years. Moving on from Dalton would be the wise choice for a team that needs an overhaul anyway, even if ownership hasn’t figured that out.