CINCINNATI — Bengal quarterback Andy Dalton had the cast removed from his fractured right thumb. What that means for Saturday’s game with the Steelers is unclear — deliberately so on the Bengals’ part.
Dalton had not thrown as of early Tuesday afternoon, and he wouldn’t say whether he could play Saturday.
Dalton answered questions for the media hoard at Paul Brown Stadium Tuesday.
“I’m sticking with the process with it,” Dalton said. “I’m doing treatment and rehab. . . Just things to make the thumb stronger and get more mobility and heal up. That’s all I’m doing.”
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What are the challenges?
“We’ll see when that time comes,” he said.
Would you be able to thumb wrestle if you had to?
“Probably, yeah,” he said.
Any muscle atrophy?
“I feel like I’ve got good mobility,” he said.
Could you play if called upon?
“I’m going to let this process take care of itself and get back playing as soon as I can,” he said.
Coach Marvin Lewis was even less forthcoming. But he did mention the possibility of Dalton being AJ McCarron’s backup.
“We’ll see,” Lewis said. “Andy continues to progress well. He’s doing just what he’s supposed to do.”
Lewis said the team continues to prepare with McCarron as the starter.
“I said that yesterday,” Lewis said. “I wasn’t being coy. . . Whether Andy’s the backup or where Andy is, we’ll know down the line. I’m not going to sit here and do a press conference about Andy every day. He’ll be ready when he’s ready. He’s doing well.”
