The Facts: Dalton had the cast on his right hand removed after a visit to a local hand specialist on Monday, multiple sources told ESPN's Bob Holtzman on Tuesday.
Diehards Line:The starting quarterback's status for Saturday's wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers is still unknown, a team source told Holtzman. Dalton, who injured his right thumb in a Dec. 13 game against the Steelers, told reporters last Friday he was hopeful the cast would come off after the visit. It was a crucial step he had to clear before being allowed to play again. Dalton also said last week that he had begun going through conditioning exercises that allowed him to still work on his throwing mechanics -- namely his hips and shoulders -- without a football in his hand. He doesn't want to look rusty when he does get a chance to play again. On Monday, HC Marvin Lewis said during a news conference that the Bengals would prepare during the week as if backup AJ McCarron would start Saturday.