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Haley said much of Orton’s participation would be determined by how quickly the Chiefs can familiarize him with the team’s offense and its way of going about its business.

Orton wasn’t seen in the locker room when reporters were allowed inside, and the team didn’t make him available for interviews. He didn’t arrive at the facility until Friday afternoon, and Haley said Orton had spent much of his day with team doctors, taking a physical and being evaluated.

After he joined the team, football work could begin.

“We’ve got to get Kyle assimilated into how we’re doing things,” Haley said, “and make decisions as we get closer to the game.”

“He gets that tight jersey on, and you see that little belly and you say, ‘Bad body,’ ” said offensive coordinator Bill Muir of Hudson. “But he’s stout. I was impressed with him the other night under difficult circumstances. On the road, in the noise, in a situation where we had to throw the football — he’s got poise uncommon for a rookie.

“One game doesn’t make a career, but it was more than encouraging. He’s more than ready for what we’re going to be asking him to do against Pittsburgh.”

You don’t get to continue to go out there and play and all that,” he said, “and it’s such an abrupt injury and a thing that you never anticipate. So that’s the hard part about it.”

Wearing a black cast on his right hand, Cassel said he didn’t know how long his recovery would be. Still, he said he’d spend much of his time at the team facility.

“You try to get a role, somehow, some way and continue to contribute to the team and contribute to Tyler and those guys and whoever’s out there playing,” he said.