KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Andy Dalton begins the 2014 NFL preseason armed with a new contract that could keep him calling signals for the Bengals through the 2020 season. It may just set the market for Chiefs counterpart Alex Smith.
Smith will get a chance to prove whether the two of them are truly comparable tonight in the preseason opener for both teams.
Dalton has led Cincinnati to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, but he’s yet to win a playoff game. The Bengals were bounced by the Chargers last season.
Smith helped to turn around a two-win team prior to his arrival, going 11-5 and making the playoffs last year. But the Chiefs blew a 38-10 second-half lead in a 45-44 playoff loss in Indianapolis, leaving Smith and the rest of the team eager for the start of a new season.