Bengals QB Andy Dalton told reporters on Tuesday that he is open to signing a clause-filled contract like the one agreed to by the 49ers and QB Colin Kaepernick last week.
“You have to have confidence in yourself that you’re going to be able to do things and that’s what he did,” Dalton said, via Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. “He’s confident enough where he’s going to be able to play out the whole contract and he’s going to be able to earn everything.
“So for me, I feel the same way. I feel confident with what I’m able to do.”
Both parties have said that they would like to get a deal in place, however, the Bengals appear to be approaching contract talks with a great deal of caution.
Team owner Mike Brown referred to Dalton’s contract situation as a “dilemma” a few months, but the structure of Kaepernick’s contract could end up being a blueprint for the two sides.
“The biggest thing is that it got done,” Dalton said of Kaepernick’s new contract. “That’s one thing that you see, that they took the time and were able to find a middle ground and get it done. So I’m hopeful that will happen for me soon.”
The Bengals used a fifth-round pick on Alabama QB A.J. McCarron, which could be used as some amount of leverage in negotiations, even if McCarron isn’t ready to start.
Dalton, 26, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is set to make $986,027 for the 2014 season. He’s led Cincinnati to the playoffs in each of his first three years in the league, but has yet to win a single postseason game.
Last year, Dalton completed 61.9 percent of his passes for a career-high 4,296 yards 33 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
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