Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has cleared a significant hurdle in his recovery from a fractured throwing thumb, but he may not be ready to return under center quite yet.
According to a report by Bob Holtzman of ESPN on Tuesday, the two-time Pro Bowler is now out of his cast, but his status for Saturday’s Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers remains unknown.
Bengals QB Andy Dalton is OUT of his cast, per multiple sources. But a team source tells me Dalton's status for Saturday is still unknown.
— bob holtzman (@BobHoltzmanESPN) January 5, 2016
Dalton was, however, able to make his return to team practice on Tuesday, taking some snaps and even throwing a pass (albeit, a left-handed one in jest).
Team clapped as Andy Dalton took two snaps during open media time. He did throw a pass…jokingly with his left hand.
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) January 5, 2016
Yes, Andy Dalton practiced today. Yes, he threw a pass. Yes, it was left handed. #Bengals #LetsRoar @Enquirer pic.twitter.com/Gt9z0Kp2uA
— Sam Greene (@SGdoesit) January 5, 2016
Dalton has been sidelined since injuring the thumb in Week 14 trying to make a tackle after throwing an interception (ironically, against these same Steelers). There was initial concern that Dalton would miss the remainder of the year with the fracture. But the 28-year-old’s prognosis quickly took a turn for the better after it was revealed that he would not need surgery, and he has been slowly progressing on a positive track since then.
The former TCU Horned Frog finished the regular season with 3,250 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Second-year quarterback AJ McCarron has filled in adequately in Dalton’s absence, throwing for 552 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions in three spot starts.
For Dalton, there’s still a big difference between having a cast removed and being able to properly grip a football with that hand, much less throw one effectively. As such, his odds of suiting up on Saturday still seem slim, especially if the Bengals are believers in The Curse of Playoff Andy Dalton.
H/T NFL Reddit
