Cincinnati Bengals backup quarterback AJ McCarron is finally feeling healthy after suffering a shoulder injury that kept him out for most of his rookie season. Hoping for a shot at becoming the primary backup behind quarterback Andy Dalton, McCarron shared this about his health (via Cincinnati.com).
“I feel great. Body feels great and I feel like I’m slinging it better than I ever have, really.”
Not standing down on his intention to beat out even Dalton for the starting gig, McCarron continued:
“If you’re not going to dream big, then why dream? He’s our starter, I know that, but I want to make him better in every way that I can. Like I told him, hopefully one day me and him can be retired and look back on it and we’re both 100 million-dollar guys. That’s my dream.”
Dream big or go home. With Dalton pretty much at that $100 million marker, next in line is McCarron actually attempting a regular season NFL pass. Baby steps.
As for the offseason thus far, McCarron has apparently been improving on his arm strength. He even indicated that he’s been overthrowing wide receiver Denarius Moore in practice.
Speaking highly of the former Alabama standout, Bengals quarterback coach Ken Zampese shared his excitement about finally having McCarron healthy:
“We wanted him in our building so bad and it happened and then it didn’t happen and now it’s happening,” Zampese recently explained. “So it’s fun. It’s delayed gratification, that’s all. Now we’ve got a chance to see where he can take himself and where we can help him go.”
There’s much work ahead in McCarron’s young career to eventually have a chance at actually seeing the field. It is, however, refreshing to hear that he is willing to put in the hard work.
Photo: USA Today Sports