Carson Palmer Won’t Start For Raiders After All

Added on Oct 21, 2011 by Jack Thurman in

NFL

Not so fast–after a flurry of media reports that the Oakland Raiders’ newly acquired quarterback Carson Palmer would start this weekend’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs the story has now changed. Indications now suggest that Palmer won’t start this weekend’s game. Kyle Boller is now listed as the probable starter at quarterback for the Raiders.

Since Palmer hadn’t played or practiced in over a year, many objective observers doubted whether he’d be ready for NFL action despite the fact that he’d been working out on his own and was in relatively good shape. Raiders’ coach Hue Jackson continues to insist that the Raiders’ quarterback will be a ‘game time decision’ there’s much to suggest that Palmer isn’t the starter this week. He’s split time practicing with the first team not only with Boller but Terelle Pryor which gives a strong indication that the Raiders want not only a ‘plan b’ but a ‘plan c’ for this weekend.

Here’s what ‘sources’ close to the situation were reporting:

“I’m 95 percent sure he is not going to play. Practicing Wednesday and Thursday, he felt he’s not ready to make those high-velocity throws yet. Maybe they could decide something at the last minute, but I don’t think he’s going to play.”

In addition to the need to make sure that Palmer is physically ready for the task of playing quarterback in the NFL, there are some other advantages to keeping him out–the Raiders have a bye next week which would give him more time to get physically and *mentally* ready to lead the team.

The Raiders have been a pleasant surprise in the early part of the NFL season and enter this week with a 4-2 record. Jason Campbell’s injury last weekend was a serious setback for the team and led to the acquisition of Palmer in the first place. The NFL betting market liked the move and the early indication that he was going to start this week. The game moved up as high as -6 once the ‘Palmer to start’ story began to circulate but has dropped to -4′ now that it looks like Kyle Boller will get the nod.