The circumstances have all but sealed Jason Campbell's fate in Oakland. The writing, folks, is on the wall in red paint.
The dominoes started to fall 10 days ago when Campbell broke his collarbone. Then he found out by watching TV that the Raiders had traded for Carson Palmer, their new future at quarterback.
There's also the issue of Campbell's contract, which runs through the 2011 season. It's safe to say he won't be getting an extension from the Raiders, a possibility just a few weeks ago.
But Campbell wants to be a starter, an opportunity that has passed in Oakland.
"I'm a starter in this league, definitely," Campbell told Comcast SportsNet CSN Bay Area. "I look around the league and I play at a higher level than most guys. I'm definitely a starter. I'm not ready to accept being (in) a backup role. I've come too far and done too much and I feel like I'm still pressing on and I haven't even got to my best yet."
It probably goes without saying we've seen the last of Campbell in Silver and Black. But he seems aware enough to know several teams lack a long-term answer at quarterback. If Campbell wasn't confident in his abilities, we'd doubt his ability to be an NFL quarterback.
