CINCINNATI -- Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said Tuesday afternoon that he'd have no problems accepting a contract extension similar to the controversial, clause-filled six-year deal given to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick last week.
"You have to have confidence in yourself that you're going to be able to do things and that's what he did," Dalton told ESPN.com following a pre-minicamp news conference. "He's confident enough where he's going to be able to play out the whole contract and he's going to be able to earn everything.
"So for me, I feel the same way. I feel confident with what I'm able to do."
Dalton, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is scheduled to make just less than $1.7 million, also has surfaced as a likely target to receive a similarly configured pay raise to that of Kaepernick.
After the 2014 season, Kaepernick basically will have to earn his pay on a year-to-year basis. The way the deal was set up, the 49ers have the financial wiggle room to cut him for performance reasons at the close of each year of the new deal.
Dalton, who was selected one pick before Kaepernick in the 2011 draft, hopes the 49ers' deal will inspire Bengals officials to get his new contract done sooner rather than later.
"The biggest thing is that it got done," Dalton said of Kaepernick's deal. "That's one thing that you see, that they took the time and were able to find a middle ground and get it done. So I'm hopeful that will happen for me soon."
Coach Marvin Lewis has expressed similar sentiments this offseason.
The Bengals have been in discussions with Dalton's agent, Jeff Nalley, during the offseason but the two sides haven't been able to agree on Dalton's worth, let alone how to structure the extension or determining guaranteed money.
Kaepernick's deal will give him a cap value above $18 million per season, making him competitive with some of the elite passers in the league. He has, after all, been to two NFC championship games and appeared in a Super Bowl in his young career.
Dalton has guided the Bengals to 30 regular-season wins and three straight trips to the playoffs, but he has no postseason wins to show for his efforts. The Bengals also are working on a few other big contracts -- linebacker Vontaze Burfict and receiver A.J. Green among them -- and may not be in position to pay him even $15 million or $16 million per year for now.
"There's a bunch of different factors that go into it," Dalton said. "It kind of all depends on the team, its cap room. ... Obviously you want to do something where you have guys around you that are going to help you out and help you be successful, as well."