Coach Jackson Friday


Head Coach Hue Jackson. Photo by Tony Gonzales

Q: [Sebastian] Janikowski is - well it looks like you've got some kickers working out?

*Coach Jackson: *I will always make sure I protect our football team. 

*Q: *What do you think, you have a gut feeling either way?

*Coach Jackson: *I don't have one yet, we'll see as we continue to move forward. As I keep telling you guys my goal is to make sure I have enough players to play and healthy bodies and guys that can get the job done. 

*Q: *Starting quarterback, Coach?

*Coach Jackson: *You didn't ask me that. No you did not. What's Friday mean? 

*Q: *Why beat around the bush?

*Coach Jackson: *Because I can. You guys all want to know is somebody going to pay me or something. Are you kidding me?

*Q: *Considering how well he's [Janikowski] kicking how big of a blow would that be?

Coach Jackson:That would be huge I mean he's a huge part of our football team, I mean if he can't go. Again, I'm not going to make any excuses if he can't go he can't go. We'll get somebody that can. That's the way it goes we'll be fine. 

*Q: *How many guys did you work out today?

Coach Jackson:I haven't worked out anybody yet. 

Q:  How many guys you plan on working out?

*Coach Jackson: *How ever many is out there. Who's ever out there I'm going to go over there in a minute when I leave you and go find out and find out who can kick so I'll know for sure. If something comes up and we need a kicker we'll have one. 

*Q: *Looking back on Sunday, you had two calls, one the fake field goal that worked for a touchdown and the fourth and one; might those have been influenced by [Sebastian] Janikowski maybe being hurt then?

Coach Jackson:No those calls had nothing to do with him being injured then by no stretch of imagination. Fourth and one was me and the fake was me. So no those had nothing to do with him being injured. 

Q:Coach, what time is that Irish coffee tonight?

*Coach Jackson: *That normally happens around seven. That's after a massage, then there's Irish coffee and then there's rest, relaxation with the mind and then all this stuff happens. 

Q:  Then after rest and relaxation there might be maybe realization?

*Coach Jackson: *Absolutely, but that's later on tonight when none of you guys are around. Nobody's bothering me; I get to sit there at my table and do what I do. 

*Q: *Everybody got first team snaps like all three guys? 

*Coach Jackson: *Absolutely. 

*Q: *Carson [Palmer] didn't talk to us yesterday, can you give us a sense of how he's felt after these two practices?

*Coach Jackson: *Good, I think he feels really good. I think his body is good, I think he's responding, I don't see him sore or anything like that. His arms alive, his minds alive, he's done a good job. Again, I can tell he's been doing something because his body is not sore and he's out there slinging the ball around and doing what he needs to do. 

Q:  Coach, so the quarterbacks get the information tonight or is that something you break to them tomorrow?

*Coach Jackson: *I got to think on that one too. Those guys know how I am. I'll make the right decision for our football team as we draw closer to the game. Again, I'm not in a rush. I'm going to watch this tape, watch the practice tape, sit down, meet with my staff, talk to upper management, Amy Trask and Mark Davis, and then make the right decision. 

*Q: *You said that Kyle Boller wasn't getting 98 percent of the snaps; Jason [Campbell] was getting those. How's he responding to the bigger work load?

*Coach Jackson: *He's done a great job. He's got quite a few snaps this week. I mean he's ready to play, honestly, I think all three of those guys is ready to play.  I wouldn't be surprised whatever decision I make somebody is going to go in there and play well.  They've done a great job in practice, but obviously somebody's got to trot out there first and that's what we'll do when that time comes. 

*Q: *How are his throws? How's the velocity?

*Coach Jackson: *Carson's? Oh my gosh, you've got to be kidding me.  He's throwing the ball like you wouldn't believe.  I mean trust me if he's out here, I mean we wouldn't of signed him if he couldn't throw it. Seriously, I get surprised at those kind of questions because I would never put the guy on the team for draft picks like that if he couldn't throw the ball. If he could not do or be what I think he has the potential to be. So I mean I get surprised at those questions.  

*Q: *Coach, theoretically tonight at seven could you decide not to decide if you feel you want some more information tomorrow on Saturday?

Coach Jackson: Well it depends on how strong my Irish coffee is. 

*Q: *What's the biggest sort of getting use to the team aspect that's difficult for a quarterback coming in?

*Coach Jackson: *Well I think it's because you don't know your teammates. This was Jason's team and you have to earn a right to be a part of this group. They don't just give you carte blanche and open the door you've got to earn the right. I think the players know that I'm not going to put anybody on this team that's going to represent us the wrong way. So that gives him a little bit more carte blanche in the beginning but you still got to earn it. So these guys are just like anybody else; he has to earn the opportunity to be a part of this group and I think that's what he's doing each and every day by his enthusiasm, his want to, his knowledge, how he goes about conducting himself. I think all those things are good traits. 

*Q: *I tried this yesterday and you gave me a look but you said that 'somebody's got to trot out there first;' does that indicate there could be more than one quarterback playing on Sunday?

*Coach Jackson: *Never know. We have all kinds of stuff that we do here so it all depends on how good I'm feeling come Sunday but anybody could walk out there first and take the first snap. Trust me, we'll have a quarterback that's ready to play for this football team on Sunday. 

*Q: *With Rolando [McClain], he hasn't practiced this week kind of the same as last week. I remember when Charles Woodson was here, they'd rest him if he had a bad foot and let him play. I know you've always been oversensitive with injuries. Is that the case with Rolando where it's not a setback you're just letting him rest for the week so he can play on Sunday?

*Coach Jackson: *Well, it's a little bit of both. I think he's not as well as he was a week ago and so I want to make sure we're very cautious with him. Sometimes, like you said, there's a little bit more rest to it too, so I think it's a combination of both. But still I want to make sure we're putting healthy football players out there. If he's not healthy enough to go, then we won't let him go. 

Q:  You got [Richard] Gordon back, do you expect him to play? Does he go in starting at full back or is [Manase] Tonga?

*Coach Jackson: *Tonga's earned that right. Tonga will stay as he is and Gordon will be back and again we'll find something for him to do. Obviously he can go back there and play fullback too but Tonga has definitely earned the right to be that starter per say right this second. 

*Q: *Any more concern about [Richard] Seymour on the list?

Coach Jackson:No I think Richard will be fine. I mean I think those lists are what they are. That's what the league has us do and I respect that. We have to make sure we put out that information, but I think Richard will be fine and ready to go. 

*Q: *Have the doctors given you a time frame on Jason [Campbell] on whether he'll be able to come back this year?

*Coach Jackson: *No, they haven't. A lot of people say six, a lot of people say eight but again it has a lot to do with the player. Again, that's his throwing arm; it's not like it's his left arm, it's his throwing arm. I think there's a lot that goes into that as a player but we'll find out and we'll know more. I mean he's three days removed from surgery. We'll have a better idea a week from now and even two weeks from now exactly where he is and how he's feeling. 

*Q: *Chris Johnson – post-bye at some point you hope? 

Coach Jackson:Oh yes, I hope so. I think we'll get him back. I feel comfortable that he'll be back out here playing at some point and time. 

*Q: *What concerns you most about Kansas City?

*Coach Jackson: *They're a good football team. They're another team in our division. It's a division rival and I think you throw everything else out the window. They're good defensively, they've got a good young quarterback. Obviously, they lost their runner, their really good runner, but they're a team that can run the ball. They know how and Dwayne Bowe is a nightmare so we got our work cut out for us. 

*Q: *Is it difficult for the offense at all to prepare for a game without knowing who the starting quarterback is?

Coach Jackson:No, because I know who the starting quarterback is.

*Q: *So if I was to play fantasy football and pick up Carson Palmer…

Coach Jackson:That'd be your choice. 

*Q: *How much say does Carson [Palmer] have in this? 

*Coach Jackson: *I'm the head coach. I think he would tell you that it's not his say, it's my say. I don't say that being cocky or anything like that, but when it comes to this team I'm going to make those decisions about who's playing and who's not playing. Again, a player can't tell me what's best for the football team. I'm going to tell the player what's best for the football team. 


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