Carson Palmer shows poise, courage, humor in face of uncertain future
TEMPE, Ariz. -- If you believe that a person's character is measured most when facing adversity, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer grew 10 feet in stature on Monday.
Everybody knew Palmer's season was over by the time the media session had ended after Sunday's 31-14 Cardinals win over the St. Louis Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium. Nobody expected to hear from Palmer for at least a few days -- not before the pain and swelling in his left knee had subsided; not before the anguish of a lost season and lost opportunity had abated.
Then, minutes after coach Bruce Arians had completed his normal Monday press conference at the team's Tempe headquarters, in hobbled Palmer, his crutches guiding the way to the podium at the front of the media room.
When asked what compelled him to talk less than 24 hours after sustaining a torn ACL, Palmer cracked a joke.
"Did I have a choice?" he said. "I was ready to go home."
This was a gut-wrenching turn of events for Palmer. Season-ending injuries usually are, but Palmer will turn 35 next month. He knows his opportunities for playing in a Super Bowl are dwindling. The Cardinals are 8-1 and atop the NFL standings with seven games to play.
The Super Bowl just happens to be in Glendale this season.
"I cried like a baby last night, and I'm not an emotional guy," said Palmer, who will go on injured reserve. "The last time I cried like that was when I lost my friend and teammate Chris Henry back in '09.
"I felt it right away; knew right away. It didn't hurt, but it hurt emotionally because I knew this year was over for me."
While talks were still in progress for the three-year contract extension that Palmer signed on Friday, he made it clear that the deal changed nothing, calling the NFL "a one-year league."
Coach Bruce Arians said after Sunday's game that Palmer will be his quarterback next season, and it's hard to imagine the Cardinals cutting bait when Palmer has $20.5 million in guaranteed money through 2015.
But Palmer understands the business. He knows what can happen if his recovery doesn't go as well or as quickly as planned.
"I'm going to play football again. I hope it's here," he said. "This organization is striving to win and they're going to do what's best for the organization. That's exactly what they should do.
"I hope I'm a part of that equation."
Palmer's injury is the latest in a rash of key losses that have devastated this team's projected starting lineup. Defensive end Darnell Dockett is also out for the season with a torn ACL. Linebacker John Abraham is on IR due to a concussion. Linebacker Daryl Washington is suspended for the season for violating the league's policy on substance abuse, and linebacker Matt Shaughnessy can't return until the Kansas City game on Dec. 7 due to a knee injury.
With Palmer out, Drew Stanton will take the keys to the Cardinals offense for the rest of the season, health providing. Stanton already has three games and two wins under his belt because he replaced Palmer earlier this season when Palmer suffered a bruised nerve in his throwing shoulder.
"It's an opportunity that I've been looking forward to for a long time," Stanton said. "It's been eight years now that I've been working toward this, so I don't take it lightly. It comes under unfortunate circumstances, without a doubt, but it's also, like I was saying yesterday, part of my job description."
Palmer nodded when someone pointed out the cruel coincidence between this injury and the catastrophic injury to the same knee in 2006, just nine days after he signed a six-year, $118 million contract extension. But in 2006, there was much more damage in the knee. Multiple doctors have told Palmer this procedure will be routine and simple, with a preliminary return date in June or July, which would have him ready for training camp.
"I'll never forget coming back from it the first time. The future was a lot more bleak," he said. "There were a lot of people saying, 'This is not something you come back from.'
"This won't be as intense because my knee was locked out for the first six weeks after that surgery. Right after surgery, you're supposed to get range of motion back right away and work for that. I'm mentally prepared, I'm mentally strong, and I'm going to grind this thing out."
While he does, Palmer said he would be at the facility every day, trying to help Stanton succeed. He'll be in the film room. He'll be at practices. He'll be on the sidelines cheering and breaking down what he sees. And he'll be learning.
"You want to help, but you don't want to be in the way, and I don't know how to deal with that," he said. "But I'm not going to stop leading and stop being vocal and stop doing the things I do, whether I'm the starter or I'm the IR quarterback."
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Video: Drew Stanton is ready for challenge of replacing Carson Palmer as the starting quarterback.