Lead story now on AOL.com: VICIOUS HIT TO QUARTERBACK
Palmer's Season Ends With Torn Knee Ligaments
Bengals Quarterback Was Hurt on His First Pass vs. Steelers
By JOE KAY, AP Sports
CINCINNATI (Jan. 8) - The first playoff game in 15 years for the Cincinnati Bengals turned into a nightmare.
Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer suffered torn knee ligaments after being hit by defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen early in the first quarter of the Bengals' 31-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC wild-card round.
On his first pass attempt of the game, Palmer lofted a 66-yard bomb down the right sideline to rookie Chris Henry. But after making the throw, Palmer was hit in the knee by von Oelhoffen and crumpled to the ground. He was carted off the field.
X-rays revealed that Palmer has a torn ACL and MCL.
Veteran Jon Kitna replaced Palmer and completed 24-of-40 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.
Von Oelhoffen played for the Bengals from 1994-99 before signing as a free agent with Pittsburgh.
Palmer led the NFL with a club-record 32 touchdown passes this season. His quarterback rating of 101.1 was second only to Peyton Manning of Indianapolis. Palmer completed nearly 68 percent of his passes for 3,836 yards.
The 2002 Heisman Trophy winner after starring at Southern California, Palmer was selected No. 1 overall in the 2003 draft by Cincinnati.
01/08/06 18:37 EST