Hopes that the Arizona Cardinals would be playing Super Bowl 49 on its home turf were dampened on Monday with news that quarterback Carson Palmer would was sidelined for the rest of the season.
Head Coach Bruce Arians, in a news conference today, said that Palmer's ACL tear from Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams would probably put the player out until the end of June or into July.
Veteran NFL player Palmer, who started with the Cardinals last year, had just signed a three-year contract on Friday that guarantees him nearly $21 million through 2015.
Even without Palmer, who went down in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game without taking a hit, the Cardinals won 31-14 with quarterback Drew Stanton, giving them an 8-1 record and No. 1 ranking in the National Football League so far this season. But dreams that Arizona would be playing in the Super Bowl on its own turf seem to have lessened.
"It's just a shame that it happened now, with this team," Arians said of Palmer's injury. "For me, personally, it's hard."
The turn of events puts pressure on Stanton, who also came on board last year, signing an $8.2 million contract. Arians told one sports reporter over the weekend that Stanton could take the team to the Super Bowl.
Some disagree. The rotoworld.com fansite says Stanton's 6.33 yards per throwing attempt "is among the worst in the league," and that "he's a significant downgrade from Palmer any way you look at it." Stanton's also suffered injuries of his own, including a recent possible concussion.
Got a tip? Send it to: Ray Stern.
Follow Valley Fever on Twitter at @ValleyFeverPHX. Follow Ray Stern on Twitter at @RayStern.
