It was only a matter of time, but the Cincinnati Bengals made it official on Thursday morning: Andy Dalton is now a free agent.

On Thursday, the team released their starting quarterback of nine years - one week after taking LSU signal-caller Joe Burrow with the first selection in the 2020 draft - per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The move clears $17.7 million in cap space.

Dalton leaves the Bengals as the franchise leader in passing touchdowns (204) and completions (2,757). Only Ken Anderson (32,838) sits ahead of Dalton on the franchise leaderboard in passing yards (31,594).

Dalton was one of the primary trade candidates entering the offseason, but nothing ever materialized. The 32-year-old now joins fellow Pro Bowl quarterback Cam Newton in free agency.

With the draft now over, both Dalton and Newton should find work in short time. The Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots look like the best landing spots, since neither of them have a truly established starting quarterback.

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The Bengals made the playoffs in each of Dalton's first five seasons, winning the AFC North in the 2013 and 2015 seasons. However, Cincinnati was unable to win a single regular season game despite the consistency in the regular season.

Injuries to key players, poor drafting and a lack of activity in free agency quickly led to a downfall of the Bengals, who have recorded losing seasons in each of the last four years. The Baltimore Ravens have emerged as the top team in the AFC North thanks to Lamar Jackson, the reigning league MVP.

The future is looking bright for the Bengals with Burrow leading the way. As good as Dalton was for most of his tenure in Cincinnati, it was simply time for a change with the organization continually taking steps backward. Dalton leaves behind a fine legacy in Cincinnati, and a fresh start was always going to be best for both sides.

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