Possible Replacements for Oakland Raiders Quarterback Jason Campbell

Despite a win that elevated them to 4-2, the Oakland Raiders received some devastating news on Sunday. Quarterback Jason Campbell left the game late in the second quarter, and the diagnosis is a separated shoulder/broken collarbone. Campbell has been ruled out indefinitely and will most likely not play again this season.

Backup quarterback Kyle Boller stepped in and performed solidly, but with the Raiders off to their best start since 2002, are they confident enough in Boller to place a potential playoff season in his hands? Several potential players that the team could acquire have been floated, but some are more likely than others.

David Garrard

The top choice appears to be former Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard. A free agent who was released by the Jaguars just before the season started, Garrard is a former Pro Bowler who has thrown 89 career touchdown passes and owns a career 85.8 rating. His current status as a free agent, combined with his extensive resume, make him the most obvious choice if the Raiders look for another quarterback.

Jake Delhomme

Jake Delhomme once took the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl, where he threw for three touchdowns and posted a 113.6 passer rating, as well as setting a record for longest offensive play from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. Only a last minute field goal from Adam Vinatieri kept Delhomme and the Panthers from winning the Lombardi Trophy.

Delhomme stayed in Carolina until 2010, when he signed with the Cleveland Browns. After one injury-plagued season in Cleveland, Delhomme was released last summer.

He's currently a free agent, but his steadily declining production over the last few seasons could cause the Raiders to shy away from him.

Carson Palmer

This one is a long shot. Palmer is on the Bengals reserve/did not report list after repeatedly asking Bengals owner Mike Brown for a trade. Each request was denied, and Palmer has reportedly said he will never play for the Bengals again.

The issues with Palmer coming to the Raiders are his salary and Mike Brown's apparent reluctance to trade him, solely out of principle. Factor in that the Raiders don't have much to send back to the Bengals in terms of draft picks, and this looks like an impossibility.

Kyle Orton

Another long shot is Denver QB Kyle Orton. Orton was recently benched for Tim Tebow and has looked terrible this season. He also has a high salary ($9 million), and the Broncos would be hesitant to trade within the AFC West. Additionally, the Raiders don't have the picks that Denver would want in return. This one is perhaps the longest of the long shots.

Trent Edwards

Trent Edwards, a former starter in Buffalo, is currently a free agent. He was in training camp with the Raiders last summer, and although he was released just before this season started, his familiarity with Coach Jackson's system and playbook make him an interesting candidate, even though his mediocre career stats do not.

Kyle Boller

Of course, the Raiders could choose to simply install backup Kyle Boller as the starter and roll the dice this season. Boller played well against the Browns, and their run-heavy offense doesn't necessarily need a high end passer.

One thing that is certain: This situation is whole lot less interesting without Al Davis around. This is the time when Davis would typically do the unorthodox, and that's what made him so unique.