Armed with a new contract, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton won't be peeking over his shoulder at former Alabama star AJ McCarron over the next couple of years.
The way McCarron's summer has gone, the fifth-round rookie won't even pressure Jason Campbell for the No. 2 job.
On the non-football injury list with tightness in his throwing shoulder, McCarron has yet to practice in training camp.
McCarron is throwing the ball 55 to 65 yards off to the side of practice. Although his arm is starting to feel better, McCarron has no idea when he will be cleared to rejoin teammates on the field.
"Mr. Brown and coach Lewis just want to give me a lot of rest," McCarron said early this week, via ESPN.com. "I'm just doing what they say."
Held out of early spring practices, McCarron returned for minicamp in June, only to exacerbate the issue. He hasn't been able to pinpoint the reason for the soreness, but the Bengals seem confident that he can work through it without surgery.
"It was probably a number of things," McCarron said. "If you've thrown your whole life, you're going to eventually have a sore arm at some point."
Never expected to see playing time as a rookie, McCarron could end up missing the start of the season on the NFI list if the Bengals decide roster spots are at a premium.
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