Andy Dalton celebrates his 26th birthday Tuesday and it's a bit surprising that his 63 career touchdown passes along with 25 victories aren't ranked in the NFL's all-time top 10 for what quarterbacks have accomplished by the time they're 25, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
But it's no surprise he's accomplished more by the age of 25 than his three predecessors that dominate the Bengals record book. Unlike Ken Anderson, Boomer Esiason and Carson Palmer, Dalton started right away and went to two straight playoffs.
It was a different era when teams played only 14 games, but Anderson's four seasons before he turned 22 are the closest statistically to Dalton. He was 24-20 as a starter and played in 51 games while passing for 48 touchdowns with 33 interceptions.
By the time he turned 26, Esiason had 34 starts (20-14) with 54 touchdowns and 32 interceptions in 41 games. Palmer, who didn't take a snap his rookie year, had 50 touchdowns against 30 picks with a record of 17-11.
A comparison of the Bengals Big Four before their 26th birthdays:
Dalton (Oct. 29, 1987): 40 games, 40 starts with a 25-15 record. 63 TDs, 38 INTs. 812 completions out of 1,323 attempts for 9,316 yards on 61.4 percent at 7 yards per attempt.
Anderson (Feb. 15, 1949): 51 games, 44 starts with a 24-20 record. 48 TDs, 33 INTs. 635 completions out of 1,089 attempts for 7,790 yards on 58.3 percent at 7.2 YPA.
Esiason (April 17, 1961): 41 games, 34 starts with a 20-14 record. 54 TDs and 32 INTs. 575 completions out of 1,002 attempts for 7,932 yards on 57.3 percent at 7.9 YPA.
Palmer (Dec. 27, 1979): 28 games, 28 starts with a 17-11 record. 50 TDs and 30 INTs. 600 completions out of 936 attempts for 6,679 yards on 64.1 percent at 7.1 YPA.
