Andy Dalton has had one of the most disappointing weeks of his career after he was benched in the wake of the Cincinnati Bengals’ 0-8 start, but what has happened off the field with his charitable foundation has likely lifted the quarterback’s spirits.
After the Bengals announced on Wednesday that Dalton will not start in Week 9, his non-profit organization, the Andy and JJ Dalton Foundation, received an influx of donations. Dalton’s managing director, Amy Floyd, said there were over 200 new donations as of Thursday, and many of them were $14. That, of course, is a nod to Dalton’s jersey number.
“Probably 95 to 98 percent have been $14 donations,” Floyd said, per Jeremiah Kirven of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Dalton and his wife JJ started the foundation in 2011 while they were both still attending TCU. The purpose is to raise money for families of pediatric patients in Cincinnati and its surrounding communities.
This isn’t the first time we have seen fans show support for Dalton through a good cause, either. A dramatic Bengals win two seasons ago helped the Bills punch their ticket to the postseason, and fans in Buffalo thanked Dalton by donating to his foundation. Hopefully that trend continues.
