Andy Dalton could throw, taking time with recovery
The waiting can sometimes be the hardest part, but in Andy Dalton’s case, there isn’t anything he can do regarding the resumption of his football career.
It was shifted, suddenly, into neutral in the first quarter of the Dec. 13 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers when he fractured the thumb on his right hand. The cast on that came off early in the week of Jan. 4, but the Cincinnati Bengals’ season ended on the 9th.
So while it may surprise some to learn that Dalton has not yet started throwing yet in early February, eight weeks after the break, the 28-year-old isn’t.
“Because all I have is time right now,” he told The Enquirer.
What's different for Andy Dalton?
He expects to resume his regular offseason schedule with a throwing program in California sometime in March, and the Bengals are allowed to work out at Paul Brown Stadium beginning on April 18.
“Taking it slow,” Dalton said. “Could I throw right now? Yes. But I might as well wait until the bone is completely healed before I do anything.”
Dalton, who would have played in his third Pro Bowl had he not been injured, finished the 2015 season after just over 12 games played. He finished with career highs in completion percentage, touchdown percentage, yards per attempt and yards per completion. He also threw the fewest interceptions and had the lowest interception percentage of his career.