Bengals QB Andy Dalton not feeling ‘any extra pressure’ heading into 2019 NFL season

Throughout his career with the Bengals, quarterback Andy Dalton solidified his status as one of the centerpieces of the franchise.

However, things have tilted in the other direction over the last couple of seasons. This is due to the team’s shortcomings falling out of the playoff picture. Dalton is now set to enter the fifth year of his six-year, $96 million deal, but he has voiced no concerns about his future with the team, according to Ben Baby of ESPN.

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“I don’t feel like there’s any extra pressure,” Dalton said. “I feel like for me and this team, I think we have high expectations for ourselves. I’m not worried about any other added pressure or anything. I’m just worried about winning.”

Dalton’s focus is directly on leading the team to success on the field as that will remedy the entire situation. This will be what dictates how much longer he will be with the Bengals. His time may be running out as they have struggled to get over the hump with him under center.

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Cincinnati has reached the playoffs multiple times with Dalton, but have bowed out in the first game. The team has now missed the postseason in the last three straight years, which will put more pressure on him to showcase he can help lead them back into contention.

Dalton will have a bit of a fresh start under first-year head coach Zac Taylor. Taylor has implemented a new offense this offseason that the team has focused on becoming comfortable with ahead of next season. Regardless of what the former Pro Bowl quarterback says at this point, the pressure is certainly on him to perform in 2019.