Palmer nears decision
December 20
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer hopes to regain almost 100 percent of his throwing strength by next week.
And based on the results of his practice sessions under those full-strength conditions, he expects to make a decision on whether he will need surgery to repair his throwing elbow.
"There is somewhat of a timeline," Palmer said Thursday. "I don't want to wait too long. Within the next couple weeks, I'll know. I don't want to wait until April, May and miss out on what's going to be going on. Within the next couple weeks, we should know. I'll have another MRI, and we'll check it out."
Palmer originally injured the elbow when his arm was grabbed as he was throwing a pass against the New York Giants Sept. 21. He has not played since an Oct. 5 game against Dallas.
"I could tell in the first quarter of the Dallas game that something wasn't right," Palmer said. "I've been throwing a football since I was 4. When something doesn't feel right, you know. Something unusual is going on in your arm. I knew it right away."
Since then, Palmer has been recuperating slowly. He said Thursday that he has increased his throwing regimen to four times per week and can throw beyond 55 yards. When he feels 90 to 100 percent strong, which he anticipates will be next week, he hopes to throw into the 70-yard range.
Ideally, Palmer said, he will be able to throw crisp timing routes to receivers next week. Such practice sessions could be crucial in helping him to decide about surgery, which he would rather avoid.
"I think I should be able to know just throwing routes to receivers," Palmer said, "and asking them, 'Do you feel like the ball is getting there quick? Does it feel like it's hanging in the air a little long?' "
Palmer said he so far has trusted the Bengals' medical and training staff during his rehabilitation period, and that everything they have told him about regaining his strength has proved to be accurate. Of the five doctors from whom Palmer solicited medical opinions, the majority told him not to have the surgery. But it will be hard for Palmer to make a final decision on that matter until he can throw with more velocity.
"I was so leery to do the surgery because the feedback I got back was so negative because of the process of the rehab, the timing of the rehab and the success rate of the rehab," Palmer said. "So that's why I've been real leery of having to do it, and hopefully I don't have to do it. If we're going to gamble, it'd be on the surgery. The last thing I'd want to do is wait too long and have to have the surgery three months from now.""
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