Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton does not need surgery on his fractured thumb, but his return relies on how quickly the ailment heals, ESPN's Adam Scheffer reports.
Dalton met with a hand specialist Monday after fracturing his right thumb Sunday against the Steelers. In deciding that Dalton does not need surgery, there remains hope that Dalton can return for the playoffs, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports. That suggests Dalton's thumb may not be healed enough for him to play again in the regular season, leaving A.J. McCarron as the Bengals' starting quarterback until further notice.