Four years into his pro career, Andy Dalton is already tied for the second-most "one-and-done" playoff appearances (four) in NFL history.
Even after coach Marvin Lewisexpressed support for his embattled signal-caller, it's fair to wonder if the Cincinnati Bengals will bring in competition via the draft or free agency.
Don't count on it.
Geoff Hobson of the team's official website forewarned fans not to expect any quarterback to be drafted this year, much less devoting an early-round pick to the position.
Hobson believes the quarterback room will be populated by the same three players in 2015, as impending free-agent backup Jason Campbell is a favorite of offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. The coaches also like what they saw out of developmental quarterback AJ McCarron, who finally got over a shoulder injury in the final month of the season.
Just as he did last offseason, Jackson is standing firmly in the corner of a quarterback now sporting a 3-11 record in primetime and playoff games.
"He's our guy, and we're not going to shy away from that," Jackson said, via Hobson. "He was better with the intangibles this year and the ball was better coming out of his hand. You could see that right away when he came back from the last offseason."
Dalton gets a pass from us for his latest postseason washout, as the offense was missing four of the top six pass-catchers in A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham.
With the first three of that quartet expected back in stripes next season, Dalton is set up for a career year.
He's also in line to become the first quarterback ever to begin his career with five consecutive playoff losses.
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