Posted: 3:30 p.m.
 Palmer |
"I just want to say that my family's thoughts and prayers go out to Ben and his family," said Palmer in a statement released by the Bengals. "We're wishing him a speedy recovery, and I'm looking forward to competing against him this fall."
Roethlisberger, in serious but stable condition, apparently suffered facial cuts when he flipped into the windshield of a car while not wearing a helmet. Various media outlets are reporting he was coherent before undergoing surgery for a broken jaw.
- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette* is reporting a broken jaw is a seven-week injury. The season opens in 12 weeks, and the Bengals go to Pittsburgh in 14 weeks for the Sept. 24 game. Palmer's return from an injured knee sustained in the Wild Card loss to the Steelers is unknown.
The rivalry between the Bengals and Steelers is crystallized by their young quarterbacks. Palmer threw nearly twice as many touchdown passes (32-17) as Roethlisberger this past season and they finished 2-3 in NFL passing as the Bengals won the AFC North. But Roethlisberger lifted his postseason record to 5-1 in leading the Steelers to the Super Bowl title.
