The Facts: Following up on an ongoing story. ... Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports in a teleconference call with season ticket holders, HC Marvin Lewis said, "If Palmer comes back he would be the starting QB and we would groom (rookie) Andy [Dalton] to be the QB of the future."

Diehards Line:But Lewis wasn't optimistic about the chances Palmer will actually return, saying: "I’ve talked with Carson a number of times and he feels like his time here is over. He feels like the best thing is to retire and spend time with family. ..." Indeed, based on recent reporting, nobody seems to think Palmer is bluffing when it comes to his threat to retire before playing another down in Cincinnati. If so, the future will be now for Dalton, Cincinnati's second-round pick in last month's NFL Draft.