Am I The Only One Worried About This?

You probably heard the news by now: Carson Palmer has signed the largest deal in NFL history... for now. (You know how these things are, someone will have a bigger contract by March.) On the surface, this is an amazing move by a franchise that has a reputation as being something of a penny pincher. It wraps up the franchise quarterback that Cincinnati has been so desperately searching for since the first Bush was in office. It sends a message to current players and potential free agents that Bengals who perform will be rewarded. So, what moron could possibly think there could be a downside to this? I guess just me.

Carson Palmer was signed through 2008, so it's not like there was a huge rush to get this done. He wasn't going anywhere until the next presidential election. As a fan, I was a little more worried about the offensive linemen who are not signed past next season. I guess CP's contract gives the team some flexibility to re-sign whomever they want. But I'm sill a little worried about the fact that this contract will be on the team's books for the next eight years. The team is comitted to Carson, for better or worse. Sure, he's had a great season. But, as unlikely as it is, what if he's a one-year wonder? What if he gets hurt? Palmer's agent, David Dunn, even compared the deal to Daunte Culpepper's. The Vikings could be attached to a quarterback with a bad knee for years to come. I guess I'm just worried that the Bengals could be saddled with a deal that could hobble this team if something goes wrong with Palmer on the field.

Also, I think it's a little crazy to have a deal that goes until 2014. The salary cap may not even be around next year. And there's no guarentee that society as we know it will still be around when the contract runs out. Skynet may have assumed control, the living dead may be walking the Earth, or this might become a planet where apes evolve from men. I mean, 2014 is a long way off. Or maybe I'm a long way off.