Cincinnati – For much of the week leading up to Sunday’s AFC wild-card playoff game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer dealt with wavering emotions. Quite the strong, silent type, Palmer longed to duck the attention that came from such a high-profile contest, his team’s first postseason game in 15 years.
However, the competitor in Palmer was eager to prove himself alongside the likes of playoff-tested quarterbacks such as New England’s Tom Brady.
In the end, Palmer was frustrated on both fronts. On Cincinnati’s second offensive play of the game, while completing a 66-yard pass to Chris Henry, Palmer was rolled into by Steelers defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen. Palmer suffered a torn ACL ligament in his left knee and was lost for the remainder of the contest.
The Bengals said they hoped Palmer could return to the team before the start of the 2006 season.
“I knew right away that it was bad,” Palmer said in a statement. “I felt my whole knee pop. I didn’t feel a lot of pain. It was just a sickening feeling because I knew what it was and that my season was over.”
In just his second year as a starter, Palmer, the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner, had a career season in 2005, throwing for 3,836 yards and leading the NFL with 32 touchdown passes.
Although the Bengals initially reacted like they felt the play was a cheap shot on von Oelhoffen’s part, upon reflection afterward, they admitted it was just an unfortunate incident. Indeed von Oelhoffen, a former Bengals player, immediately expressed remorse as he stood over Palmer.
While the game continued at a furious emotional pitch, it was clear the injury had an impact on the contest.
“It affected me. I couldn’t stop thinking about him the whole game,” said Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, a former roommate of Palmer’s at Southern California. “But it had to affect them more. He’s their whole offense. Rudi Johnson, Chad Johnson, all their great guys, can’t be the players that they are without him out there.”
