Andy Dalton's nine-year run with the Cincinnati Bengals had its ups and downs. Dalton's time with the Bengals included two division titles and five consecutive playoff appearances, but Cincinnati failed to win a playoff game during the Dalton era. Bengals fans are still waiting for their team's first playoff victory since 1990.

Dalton's time in Cincinnati won't just be defined only by what he did on the field, however. While Dalton gained a considerable amount of fans with his play, there are countless others who support Dalton based on his impact in the Cincinnati community. Dalton and his wife, Jordan, launched the Andy & JJ Foundation, whose mission is to "show God's love and grace while providing support, resources and experiences to seriously ill and physically challenged children and their families." 

On Sunday, hours after the Cowboys confirmed that Dalton will sign a one-year deal with Dallas, Dalton, via his Instagram account, thanked the Bengals and the city of Cincinnati for their support.

"Thank you Cincinnati for the past 9 years. There are countless memories that will be with me forever. I am thankful for the friendships, my teammates, coaches, and the organization. Y'all pushed me to be a better everyday. Thank you to the Cincinnati community for supporting the @ajdfoundation. We could not have made the impact we did without y'all. Thank you @jjdalton5 for always supporting me and being by my side every step of the way. I am blessed that we are on this journey together. We will always cherish our time in Cincinnati. Who Dey!"

While his foundation will continue to make an impact in Cincinnati, Dalton is now headed to Dallas, where he will back up two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott. Dalton will join a list of notable quarterbacks who enjoyed varying levels of success as backup quarterbacks in Dallas, a list that includes Roger Staubach, Tony Romo and Bernie Kosar.

The Bengals' all-time leader in career touchdown passes (204), fourth-quarter comebacks (20) and game-winning drives (24), Dalton gives the Cowboys a proven quarterback who is more than capable of leading a team to victories if something happens to Prescott, who is hoping to secure a long-term deal with the Cowboys after being franchise tagged earlier this offseason. 

A fourth-round pick back in 2016, Prescott is coming off a 2019 season that saw him set career highs in passing yards (4,902) and touchdown passes (30). Despite his success, the Cowboys missed the playoffs for the second time in his four seasons as the team's starting quarterback.

Cincinnati, which released Dalton last Thursday, used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft to select Joe Burrow, who last season led LSU to a perfect season en route to a victory over Clemson in the national championship game. The Bengals also gave Burrow a new receiver during the draft, using their second-round pick on former Clemson star Tee Higgins. Burrow, Higgins and the rest of the Bengals' rookie class will try to help a team that went 2-14 in 2019, the first season under head coach Zac Taylor.