The Bengals lost quarterback Andy Dalton early in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers, with a thumb injury. The Bengals won’t be getting him back soon.
Coach Marvin Lewis told reporters after the game that Dalton will miss at least next week’s game against the 49ers. He also said, via Aditi Kinhabwala of NFL Media, that the Bengals “need to move forward” with backup A.J. McCarron.
The next move beyond next Sunday will be the final Monday night game of the year and a showdown with the Broncos, possibly with a bye on the line. If Dalton can’t play in that game, the Bengals may have to play in the wild-card round for a the fifth straight year.
UPDATE 4:35 p.m. ET: Dalton separately said that there’s a fracture in the thumb, and that he’ll be seeing a specialist.