The Carolina Panthers started Andy Dalton in Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills, and it was obvious from the start that he wasn't himself. Despite his struggles, Dalton stayed in the game and tried to battle the adversity, but to no success. Come to find out, Dalton was dealing with a broken thumb that he hid from the coaches, but in his defense, he didn't think it was a big deal.

“For me, I didn't know what had happened,” Dalton said via Panthers reporter Sheena Quick. “I knew that I had it hit, and I still felt like I could function normally, and so I didn't even think it was worth anything to talk about.

“It's not ideal, but I can still work. I can still throw the ball.”

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Looking at his thumb now, Quick reported that it's “cartoonishly swollen.”

Bryce Young, who sat out the last game because of an injury, spoke about when he learned about Dalton's injury, and he may have been the only person to know at the time.

“I know it was the first pass attempt,” Young said. “He came out and obviously didn’t know what it was, but he mentioned it, and of course, he wasn’t looking to come out or anything. That speaks to his character and the warrior he is. He brought it up to me just because we talk all the time. I don’t even know if he had brought it up to anyone else because of the competitor he is. Him pushing through that with a broken right thumb, that’s not comfortable.”

It's uncertain what the next steps will be for Dalton, but he said it wasn't the first time he broke his thumb. Hopefully, he can rest it, and with Young most likely returning in Week 9, there's a good chance he'll be able to do so.