Monday, January 9, 2006
Palmer: I'll start in 2006
By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer
Carson Palmer, less than 19 hours after suffering a pair of serious knee ligament injuries, said he will be ready for training camp Aug. 2 or 3.
“As comfy as it gets,” Palmer said as he took a seat this morning in the media room at Paul Brown stadium.
“Minutes were hours last night,” he said. “Then some of last night flew by.”
Palmer would not confirm his injuries, but a source close to the situation said Palmer suffered tears to both the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee.
He was hit from the side on his first pass play by Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen.
“I don’t know Kimo personally, but what I’ve heard he’s not (a dirty player),” Palmer said. “He’s a guy with a high motor who plays hard. That’s football.”
Palmer watched the game from the training room on TV. He talked with teammates at halftime.
“I was fired up,” he said. “We were up.”
Jon Kitna replaced Palmer and led the Bengals to 17 points.
“That’s my No. 1 concern,” Palmer said when asked if he wanted Kitna back. The backup quarterback is an unrestricted free agent.
“Jon has some opportunities out there. I know the organization wants him back. I want what’s best for him. But selfishly, I want him back.”
Palmer faces a long, difficult rehabilitation period. He said surgery has not been scheduled, but he wants to have the operation performed as soon as possible.
Asked if he were going to be the team’s opening day starter in 2006, he said, “No question. I don’t want to miss anything.”
He will not rush rehab but will work hard.
“I’m not going to do anything stupid,” he said. “I made a commitment to this organization, and it made a commitment to me.”
Palmer signed a new, re-negotiated contract with the Bengals two weeks ago that bind him to the team through the 2014 season.
He did say he would miss field work in the spring.
“It’s going to hurt me,” he said. “I want to take every rep. What I can’t do on the field I will make up for in study. If Kitna’s here, it doesn’t do anything to (hurt) the offense. He knows it better than I do.”