Report: Bengals' LaFell has torn ligament in hand

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Brandon LaFell has a torn ligament in his hand that might require surgery, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.

He adds that the injury doesn't appear to be season-ending.

A free-agent pickup, LaFell was expected to open the year as the team's No. 2 receiver.

The Bengals allowed backups Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones to depart in the offseason, so an injury to LaFell leaves just rookie Tyler Boyd and Brandon Tate as the receivers behind star A.J. Green.

Cincinnati has legitimate playoff and Super Bowl aspirations, and any change to Andy Dalton's offensive weaponry could interfere with those aims.

LaFell spent the past two seasons with the New England Patriots.