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Pretty much any projection involving the Arizona Cardinals in 2015 is based on the presumption that quarterback Carson Palmer will be on the field.

The veteran tore the ACL in his left knee on Nov. 9, and after having surgery to repair the issue, has been rehabbing and working toward trying to get back.

Before going down, he had completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 1,626 yards and 11 touchdowns, posting a QB rating of 95.6. The Cardinals won all six games he started.

Since his injury there has been plenty of optimism, from Palmer himself as well as head coach Bruce Arians, over the idea that he will be ready to go when the new season begins.

Friday, as a guest of Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 F for Newsmakers Week, Cardinals GM Steve Keim had a similar tone.

“He’s awesome,” Keim said. “He came in, I believe it was yesterday and I talked to him at length, he’s more energized than ever and he looked fantastic.

“It looks like he put on some lean muscle; he is working his tail off. And I know he’s at a point in his rehabilitation process where he’s doing some running and he’s ahead of schedule. And again, he’s more energized than ever.”

This is the second time in Palmer’s career that he needed surgery to repair an ACL, as he tore the same one in the 2005 postseason while a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, this tear was far less severe than that one, with the rehab not being nearly as intensive.

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