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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron walks off the field after an NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Cincinnati.
(AP Photo)
It's official: Former Alabama standout AJ McCarron will be Cincinnati's starting quarterback when the Bengals square off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL playoff game on Saturday night.
The Bengals said after their Friday workout that Andy Dalton will not be able to play on Saturday. Dalton is in his fifth season as Cincinnati's starting quarterback. But he suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand during a Dec. 13 game against the Steelers.
Dalton had the cast removed from his hand on Monday, leading to speculation on when he might return to Cincinnati's lineup.
McCarron made the first three starts of his NFL career in relief of Dalton to finish the regular season.
The most recent Alabama quarterback to appear in an NFL postseason game is Jeff Rutledge for the Washington Redskins against the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 9, 1993.
The most recent Alabama quarterback to start an NFL playoff game is Richard Todd, who was under center for the New York Jets against the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 23, 1983.
McCarron, a former St. Paul's prep star, will try to lead Cincinnati to its first postseason victory since the Bengals beat the Houston Oilers 10-7 on Jan. 6, 1991. Cincinnati has lost its seven playoff games since downing the team that's now the Tennessee Titans. While that's not the longest current postseason losing streak in the NFL (the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions have lost their past eight postseason games), the Bengals have gone the longest in the league since their most recent playoff victory.
The Steelers and Bengals kick off at 7:15 p.m. CST Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. CBS will televise the game.
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