Palmer’s words not great news for Bengals

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, July 31, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

Cincinnati Bengals
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Ever since his now infamous and devastating knee injury in a Jan. 8 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional Playoff Round, Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback Carson Palmer has worked tirelessly to regain form. While it was originally feared his career was over, everyone has since found out that the fourth-year man could be ready to go by the third week of the preseason. However, he made some disconcerting comments regarding the status of his knee on Monday.

"I'm confident running with it and planting and cutting, but as far as getting hit, having to run full-speed and stop in a small area, I'm not mentally ready for that and I don't think my knee's ready for that," said Palmer.

It's certainly not surprising that the 26-year-old is having difficulty returning to full strength, but the fact that he's not mentally ready could be distressing to Bengals fans, who have welcomed him back to the playing field with open arms. Of course, a lack of mental toughness in a signalcaller could be troubling to himself and his teammates. At the same time, however, it's not a shock that the former USC Trojan Heisman winner is second-guessing his injury.

If Palmer is unable to return by the beginning of the regular season, Cincinnati could have a major problem on its hands. Since the Bengals were unable to re-sign dependable backup Jon Kitna earlier in the offseason, they are stuck confiding in Anthony Wright, who has been mediocre at best in his seven-year career. And No. 3 QB Doug Johnson isn't going to strike fear into the hearts of opposing defenses, either.

Naturally, the Bengals' worst nightmare would be seeing the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Palmer re-injure himself in the preseason, assuming he does see some action in it. The last thing head coach Marvin Lewis needs is a shaky quarterback situation, especially with diva receiver Chad Johnson as the team's No. 1. Although Johnson has never been a Terrell Owens-esque complainer in the past, the 27-year-old could turn into one if he's not given the ball enough.

As the defending AFC North champs, the Cincinnati Bengals have a tall order ahead of them in 2006. The division-rival and Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh Steelers will be in the thick of the race, as will the improved Baltimore Ravens. An injury to Palmer or poor performance stemming from a lack of confidence in his knee could cost the Bengals a second straight trip to the postseason.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com

For more on Carson Palmer visit Realfootball365.com
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