It's one of the weirdest phenomenons in the NFL. Andy Dalton's tour of the NFC always brings him back to the Cincinnati Bengals.

2020 with the Dallas Cowboys. 2021 with the Chicago Bears. 2022 with the New Orleans Saints. 

And now, 2024 with the Carolina Panthers.

Four years (with a gap). Four different teams. Three different divisions. One familiar opponent every time. All cascading from his release from the Zac Taylor-led Bengals. 

Dalton was Taylor's first quarterback as a head coach in 2019, though he only started 13 games for him that year. The Bengals' franchise QB was benched midway through the season in favor Ryan Finley, the first QB Taylor drafted. 

Five years later, Dalton will be looking to beat his former team and coach for the third time for another team. But it's all love from the leader of his first team.

"Total Pro. [I'll] Always be grateful to Andy," Taylor said. "He led us through a very difficult time. Did it the right way, was always really good with me, with giving me feedback especially as a first year head coach and all the challenges that we face that year."

Zac Taylor grateful for the stability Andy Dalton brought in his first year in 2020. pic.twitter.com/2UxwVATS9A

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 25, 2024

Dalton had quarterbacked the Bengals longer than Taylor had been an NFL coach, head or assistant. The latter may've been higher in the hierarchy of management, but it's no surprise to hear Taylor grew as a first-year head coach from the feedback of his veteran QB.

Dalton was 32 and unemployed when Taylor found the passer he wanted to build around in Joe Burrow. He's yet to find a home as a true starter, but has come off the bench and started several games for the three teams that followed the Bengals. Sunday will be his second start for the Panthers.

Taylor only coached Dalton for a year, but seeing the Bengal' all-time touchdown leader ascend to starting status in four different places is not shocking to him.

"I'm not surprised that he keeps getting opportunities and makes the most of them," Taylor said. "Because how he prepares, the talent that he has, and his experience in the league. I mean, he's seen everything. He's gone against everything. He's played in a lot of different situations. So you're not surprised to see him out there winning games and, statistically, doing the things he's doing, and playing on time and making some unbelievable throws in that last game to help them win."

Taylor clearly doesn't want to go down the path cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt did last week.

A day before the Bengals lost a shootout to the Washington Commanders, Dalton led the Panthers to their first win of the season due to some of those unbelievable throws Taylor mentioned. He became the first QB to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns this season, and he did it with a week of preparation as the starter. Burrow became the second QB to reach those numbers 24 hours later.

Another performance like that could easily give the Panthers back-to-back victories and put Taylor's Bengals in an unescapable 0-4 hole. It would also give Dalton a 3-1 record against his former team. 

The one loss has some significance to it, though.

When Dalton was starting for the Saints in 2022, a 2-3 Bengals team came down to New Orleans and won an exhilarating game, 30-26. That win didn't start the team's 10-game winning streak extending all the way into the playoffs, but it is looked at as the start of the turnaround for the year.

The real start of the winning streak came a few weeks later, against the Panthers. The Bengals will be looking for something similar on Sunday.

Bengals vs Panthers NFL Week 4 Broadcast Map: Will you be able to watch on TV?

Here’s where the Bengals’ Week 4 game against the Panthers will be aired on TV.