What a tough week for Jason Campbell.
Oakland's starting quarterback was sidelined last Sunday with a broken collarbone in a win over the Browns, and then saw his future with the Raiders rocked with the team's blockbuster trade for Carson Palmer.
Campbell told KGMZ-FM on Friday that didn't hear about the trade until after it went down, and that coach Hue Jackson encouraged him to stay mentally tough, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
"He said, 'Don't worry about any of those other things that's out there being said ... just worry about getting healthy. I still believe in you. ... Don't get frustrated,'" Campbell said.
Campbell described watching Palmer and Jackson sitting beside each other at Tuesday's press conference as "a moment of silence."
"You're hearing everything from the outside world and, you know ... it upsets you to a point, but same time, you've been in these shoes before," Campbell said. "You just don't ever know how things are going to happen or what's the plan behind things, and I say, you know what, don't get caught up in that."
Campbell has never won more than eight games in a season, but he was off to a promising start this year with an 84.2 passer rating for the 4-2 Raiders. He's generated an 84-plus rating every season since 2008. Palmer's last three seasons with the Bengals fielded ratings of 82.4 (2010), 83.6 (2009) and 69 (2008).
Sure, the Raiders aggressively pursued their man in Palmer. But if it weren't for Campbell's snapped collarbone, Palmer would still be lodged on his couch watching mind-numbing repeats of "Charles in Charge."
For Campbell, it's a very bad break.
