While Mike Pouncey‘s initial recovery timetable from hip surgery suggested he’d miss the first month of the season, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports that the veteran center may not return for a few more weeks after that. According to Salguero, Pouncey’s rehab could extend into late October, meaning he’d miss nearly half the regular season.

Meanwhile, extension talks between Pouncey and the Dolphins have been put on hold for now, says Salugero (via Twitter). Besides the fact that Pouncey, who turns 25 tomorrow, isn’t healthy, it’s still a little early to make serious progress on a new contract, considering the team has exercised its fifth-year option for 2015. So far, no 2011 first-rounders have signed extensions, since their teams still have most of the leverage.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

• For years, Bengals owner Mike Brown has served as the team’s de facto general manager, but speaking to reporters – including Joe Danneman of Fox19 – Brown said yesterday that his daughter Katie Blackburn and head coach Marvin Lewis are now running the franchise (Twitter link). As Paul Dehner of the Cincinnati Enquirer details, Brown still has the final say on personnel decisions, but typically follows the lead of Blackburn and Lewis.
• A report in early June suggested extension talks between the Patriots and safety Devin McCourty had gotten underway, but according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), there have been no new talks since that initial dialogue. Regardless, McCourty isn’t phased by heading into the regular season on an expiring deal.
• Focusing on how contract situations may affect players’ roster security, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe breaks down the Patriots who may be on the hot seat as roster cuts approach.
• Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star consults cap expert Joel Corry to determine whether or not the Chiefs will be able to lock up both Jamaal Charles and Justin Houston to new long-term contracts. The answer: Yes, though the team will have to be careful about how it spreads out the money on the cap.