The NFL season is still a few months away, but we already have an idea of which teams have the most viable shot at playing in Super Bowl LII in Minnesota.

Teams like the Patriots, Packers, Seahawks, Steelers and Falcons all have a legitimate shot of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, and the common thread with all Super Bowl contending teams is the presence of a franchise quarterback.

Sure, teams have won without a franchise guy under center, but guys like Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer are the exception to the rule. There’s a reason teams often use the top pick in a draft to select a quarterback to build around.

But even with the right guy, there is always the risk of injury, and a quarterback is always just one injury away from altering the fate of a franchise, for better or worse.

With that, here are the top five franchise-altering quarterback injuries.

5.) Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals

Carson Palmer was selected first overall by the Bengals in 2003, and sat out his entire first year, watching and learning behind incumbent Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna. Palmer had a solid first year in 2004, and in 2005, after throwing for 32 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions, the Bengals found themselves in the postseason hosting the division rival Steelers at home in Cincy.

On the first play of the Bengals’ drive, Palmer unleashed a 66-yard pass to wide receiver Chris Henry. Despite, the completion, Palmer found himself on the ground with a severe knee injury after Steelers defensive tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen fell into his leg. Palmer was carted off the field and the Bengals would go on to lose, 31-17. The Bengals were never be the same after that game. Palmer never hit the 30-plus touchdown mark again with the Bengals, and eventually had a nasty divorce with the team before being shipped to Oakland.