Carson Palmer Will Miss Rest of Season Due to Torn ACL

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer will miss the remainder of the 2014 NFL season after an MRI revealed he suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's win over the St. Louis Rams.

Kent Somers of AZCentral.com passed along the news:

Palmer later discussed his reaction to the injury and his road to recovery, via Somers, Craig Morgan of Fox Sports Arizona and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com:

Palmer, 34, went down in the fourth quarter on a sack by Rams safety Mark Barron. The scene on the field was strange, as Palmer was able to evade Barron's initial contact but crumpled to the ground as he tried to plant his feet to throw.

Chris Simms of Bleacher Report broke down the impact Palmer's injury will have on the NFC playoff picture:

The situation surrounding Palmer leaves the Cardinals in a tough spot. Palmer and the team came to an agreement on a three-year contract extension last week, just days before he went out with the torn ACL. It marks an eerie turn of events that evokes memories of Palmer's last knee injury in 2006, which happened only a week after signing a megadeal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Having rejuvenated his career in Arizona, it'll be interesting to see how Palmer's run with the Cardinals plays out. His season finishes with 1,626 yards and 11 touchdowns against three interceptions, helping lead Arizona to victories in all six of his starts. 

Palmer's 2014 campaign was already in doubt once. When he popped up on the injury report earlier this season with a shoulder injury, the seemingly minor ailment kept him on the shelf for more than a month. Drew Stanton went 2-1 in the games Palmer missed, and there was a line of thinking that Palmer's arm was giving out.

It highlighted the problem with nerve issues. They are not like an ankle sprain or hamstring pull, where there's a typical recovery range where most players will fall. Every situation is different, and the player just has to wait for the body to respond properly.

Palmer eventually started in Week 6, and he was playing well enough to perhaps merit a Pro Bowl appearance. He'd thrown for multiple touchdowns in his first five starts of 2014, and though he didn't get a touchdown against St. Louis, he was continuing a string of strong performances.

The 8-1 Cardinals will now rely on Stanton, who has been intermittently effective. Stanton has thrown for 614 yards and three touchdowns in place of Palmer, but he's completed just 49.5 percent of his passes.

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For the Cardinals, having another veteran like Stanton who can step in and provide some stability helps the cause. He doesn't possess as much talent as Palmer, but he can manage games for a team with plenty of talent elsewhere on the roster.

As for Palmer, the outlook is a little murkier. There are still moments where he flashes the ability of a top-tier quarterback, but he's inconsistent. More notably, he'll now have to prove his knee is back to full strength before the Cardinals feel comfortable with the new contract.

While his status should become more clear in the months ahead, the Cardinals have to focus on moving forward without him.