Who Should I Start? Colt McCoy or Andy Dalton

Monday, August 19, 11:54 AM

Former NFL quarterback Colt McCoy has announced his retirement and will join NBC Sports for its Big Ten college football coverage. McCoy, a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist during his college career at Texas, set an NCAA Division I record with 45 career wins as a four-year starter from 2006 to 2009. He led the Longhorns to the BCS National Championship game in 2010, capping off a perfect 12-0 regular season with a Big 12 title. Drafted in the third round by the Cleveland Browns in 2010, McCoy amassed an 11-25 record over his 36 NFL starts. His final NFL stint was with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023, where he played in two preseason games before being released due to elbow issues. Over his career, McCoy also played for the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, San Francisco 49ers, and Cleveland Browns, finishing with 7,975 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions in 56 games.

Tuesday, February 18, 4:15 PM

The Carolina Panthers and quarterback Andy Dalton agreed on a two-year, $8 million deal on Tuesday that includes $6 million guaranteed and has a maximum value of $10 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The veteran signal-caller will remain in Carolina, where he's developed a close relationship with starter Bryce Young. Dalton, 37, ended up making five starts for the Panthers in 2024 after the team benched Young following his slow start. In his six appearances in his second year in Carolina, the Red Rifle completed 66.3% of his 160 pass attempts for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions before suffering a thumb injury in a car accident that gave the Panthers a reason to go back to Young to end the year. Young looked the best he has in his young career to close out 2024, so Dalton will be entrenched as his backup entering the 2025 season.