Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton won't need surgery to repair his fractured thumb and is officially week-to-week. However, it's unlikely that he'll be back in the lineup for the Bengals before the regular season is over.
Andy Dalton doesn’t need surgery, but likely won’t be back until the playoffs
Dalton will be evaluated on a weekly basis, but likely won’t return for the Bengals until the postseason.
While Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said at his press conference on Monday that Dalton will not play in Week 15 against the San Francisco 49ers, he also said the team received good news about his injured thumb and will evaluate him on a weekly basis. Still, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says the playoffs are still the targeted return for Dalton and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network thinks Week 17 is an optimistic scenario.
Until Dalton’s return, the Bengals will rely on AJ McCarron as the team’s starting quarterback. On Sunday, in his first extended action in the NFL, McCarron completed 22 of 32 passes in relief of Dalton for 280 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Lewis: McCarron exudes moxie, confidence since the day he walked in door here.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 14, 2015 The Bengals haven't yet clinched a spot in the postseason, but can do so with one more win or a loss for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets or Kansas City Chiefs. With Dalton's recovery in mind, winning enough to earn a first-round bye in the postseason would be a huge positive for the Bengals. The team is currently tied with the Denver Broncos for the No. 2 seed in the AFC, although the two teams will face each other in Week 16, handing the winner the tiebreaker.
Dalton was having easily the best season of his career prior to the injury, completing a career-best 66.1 percent of his passes with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His 106.3 passer rating trails only Russell Wilson and Carson Palmer in 2015.
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