WATCH: Buffalo Bills Thank Andy Dalton for Helping them End Playoff Drought

The city of Buffalo’s simply adores Andy Dalton and he is a hero in their eyes. Even though he is no longer their player, they still love him to bits.

Back in 2018, the former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback took to the field for Sunday’s preseason game in Buffalo. To his surprise, the fans greeted him with a standing ovation, as they will always remember his last-second heroics in Week 17 of the previous season.

Dalton’s 48-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd in the final minute of the 2017 regular-season finale defeated the Baltimore Ravens. In turn, it allowed the Buffalo Bills to sneak into the playoffs.

As a result, fans in Buffalo showed their appreciation by donating to Dalton’s charitable foundation. Many of them paid in $17 increments to signify an end to the Bills’ 17-year absence from the NFL postseason.

All in all, the donations totalled more than $415,000 for the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation for seriously ill children. Before the game, the Daltons gave a portion of that money to the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo.

Andy Dalton is still beloved in Buffalo

Eight months after Dalton’s heroics the warm feelings between the two cities still remain.

“We’re so thankful for everything that y’all have done for us, for our community. The families in our community through our foundation that we want to give back to y’all,” Jordan Dalton said in a video posted on Andy’s social media, “We’re forever grateful.”

Dalton told ESPN, “JJ and I are excited to return to Buffalo and support a community that gave so much. The Pass it On Fund is our grant program. It was able to double in size because of all the donations that we received. So for us, we feel like it’s our responsibility to pass it on and give back to Buffalo.”

This year, Andy Dalton is headed to the Dallas Cowboys, after the Cincinnati Bengals let him go.