Recently, Colts owner Jim Irsay indicated that Andrew Luck could return from his lacerated kidney injury this week against the Texans. As it turns out, there’s still uncertainty over when or if Luck will return this season, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Further complicating matters for the Colts is the status of Matt Hasselbeck. The aging QB was seen leaving the stadium on Sunday night with his left arm in a sling and his status going forward is also shaky.

The Bengals got a bit of good news on Monday afternoon. Quarterback Andy Dalton does not need surgery on his thumb, a club source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Whether or not he returns at this point will depend on how quickly he heals. Had he went under the knife, Dalton likely would have been finished for the 2015 regular season and the postseason.

Lions coach Jim Caldwell told reporters that tight end Brandon Pettigrew tore his ACL again, ruling him out for the remainder of the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Even though this is a lost season for the Lions, it’s unfortunate news for the seven-year veteran.

The Lions and Pettigrew agreed to a four-year contract prior to the 2014 season worth $16MM, including $8MM in guaranteed money. As a result, the 30-year-old (31 in February) is slated to be under contract with Detroit through the end of the 2017 season. Even though Pettigrew is well-compensated by the Lions, he’s certainly hoping for a turnaround as the team has slumped to a 4-9 mark this season.

Pettigrew, who had 71 receptions in 2010 and 83 in 2011, was one of the top tight ends to reach the unrestricted free agent market in the spring of 2014. The Lions successfully outbid the Jets, Raiders, Chiefs, and other clubs interested in his services. In eight games this season, Pettigrew has notched just seven receptions for 67 yards and one score.

In the wake of Andy Dalton‘s broken right thumb – widely thought to be a season-ender – the Bengals are considering their options at quarterback. The Bengals have reached out to both Ryan Mallett and Christian Ponder as they look for QB support, a league source told PFT.

At present, A.J. McCarron is the only other quarterback on the active roster and therefore is slated to take over as the starter. The Bengals also have Keith Wenning on the taxi squad and he seems like a candidate for promotion, but one that would be largely unproven should the injury bug bite McCarron. Last year’s No. 2 QB Jason Campbell could, theoretically, also get a call, but he has made it clear that he is staying retired.

Dalton will assuredly miss next week’s contest against the 49ers, and even in a best case scenario, he’ll likely miss the following week’s game against Denver. That contest, which had always loomed large on the schedule, has taken on extra importance as both clubs vie for those top two seeds. If Dalton misses the remainder of the regular season, he’ll also be be out for Cincinnati’s final regular season game against division foe Baltimore.

The man tasked with guiding the Bengals through that gauntlet in the absence of Dalton will be McCarron, Cincinnati’s fifth-round pick in last year’s draft. The 25-year-old didn’t play a single snap last season (and notably, was unable to even practice, having been relegated to the non-football injury list all year), and until this week, had seen just three snaps in relief of Dalton. Against the Steelers today, McCarron completed 22 of 32 attempts for 280 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Browns adds depth behind Harris and Jackson

According to source, the Seahawks have re-signed veteran RB Bryce Brown to help make up for loss of star rookie Thomas Rawls. (Rob Rang on Twitter)

Nerdy Football Analysis: Thomas Rawls injured his ankle in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against Baltimore and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Brown was signed and released by the Seahawks earlier this season but does have a better opportunity to make an impact this go-around with DuJuan Harris and Fred Jackson ahead of him on the depth chart. Brown is worth a flier if you have the roster space.