Josh Kirkendall

Labeling Colin Kaepernick as divisive could be the most understated opening to any commentary in the history of Earth. His name explosively surfaced Sunday night in connection to Cincinnati. According to a report by Pro Football Talk, Andy Dalton is on a short leash and there’s some interest in former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick within the lockerroom.

The team insists that quarterback Andy Dalton is safe. But the feeling within the locker room, we’re told, is that the leash isn’t quite so long, and that if the struggles continue under new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, the next one to go could be Dalton.

This means that A.J. McCarron would take over, if Dalton is indeed benched. But there’s a feeling among some of the players that the Bengals should go off the board and consider bringing in Colin Kaepernick.

Immediately, beat writers, insiders, and reporters disputed the PFT report.

Jeremy Rauch, sports anchor for Fox 19 in Cincinnati, cited a team source that “Andy Dalton’s short leash and potential interest in (Colin Kaepernick) report is ‘made up‘”. ESPN Insider Chris Mortensen told Mike and Mike on Monday that “I was assured that Andy Dalton’s job is not on the line right now.” Cincinnati Enquirer beat writer Jim Owczarski tweets that he hasn’t heard anything similar and declared a refusal to even entertain the question moving forward.

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Forbes recently updated their NFL valuations; a list that ranks the value of NFL teams, as well as revenue, operating income, and debt/value. Cincinnati ranks 30th in the NFL with a value of $1.8 billion. Comparatively speaking, the top five includes Dallas ($4.8 billion), New England ($3.7 billion), NY Giants ($3.3 billion), Washington ($3.1 billion), and San Francisco ($3.05 billion).

Here’s a breakdown of Cincinnati’s historical value/ranking dating back to 2005.

YEAR	VALUATION	RANKING
2017	$1.8 billion	30th	[Link]
2016	$1.675 billion	30th	[Link]
2015	$1.45 billion	29th	[Link]
2014	$990 million	27th	[Link]
2013	$924 million	27th	[Link]
2012	$871 million	27th	[Link]
2011	$875 million	25th	[Link]
2010	$905 million	25th	[Link]
2009	$953 million	21st	[Link]
2008	$941 million	21st	[Link]
2007	$912 million	20th	[Link]
2006	$825 million	23rd	[Link]
2005	$716 million	23rd	[Link]

You can break down the “Marvin Lewis era” into two distinct segments: The Carson Palmer era, the Andy Dalton era. Keep in mind that this distinction isn’t a mutual narrative regarding these quarterbacks; it’s a universally accepted breakdown that compartmentalizes two enunciated eras within an era. Got it? Good.

The Carson Palmer era featured a high-octane offense with a powerful running game and an opportunistic defense that, despite the yardage allowed, generated turnovers. This was also the era that, unfortunately, established the Bengals as caricatures being viewed as criminals (which developed over the course of a single offseason). The Carson Palmer era was arguably the most exciting during the Marvin Lewis administration, especially the 2005 squad, who should have won the Super Bowl.

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This week has sucked. Bad.

…yet, it didn’t start that way.

There was optimism. Excitement. Chills. Even a little giddiness. Entering the regular season, Cincinnati boasted a legitimate trio of running backs, a talented mix of wide receivers receivers (young and old), a top-flight defense, and the promotion of two high-round draft picks at offensive tackle. Youth was being served, promoted, and Cincinnati was entering another era in their illustrious history.

In addition, this was the second season for offensive coordinator Ken Zampese, who could find his zone as a play-caller and utilize his players better than last season.

It’s been a complete disaster.

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