When Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer went down with a knee injury in Week 10, so did his team’s chances of winning the NFC West and ultimately the Super Bowl.

However, the Cardinals hope to pick up right where they left off when Palmer went down. That process may start sooner than many expected.

Bruce Arians: Carson is ahead of schedule. I think he'll be back for Mandatory mini camp but I wouldnt put it past him to be back for OTA's. — SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) January 20, 2015

That timetable is in line with what Carson Palmer said one day after the Cardinals’ season ended with a 27-16 Wild Card round loss to the Carolina Panthers. Palmer said he would return “sooner rather than later” and was excited for OTAs and minicamp.

Palmer started six games for the Cardinals last season. He completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 1,626 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. Arizona was a perfect 6-0 with Palmer in the lineup.

Follow @AZSports