By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

On the day after his best season as a pro ended, Jon Kitna sought out Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.

"The thing I expressed to Marvin is, this is where I want to be," the Bengals quarterback said Monday. "This is a great place for my family. I enjoy the town and I've never played for a head coach that fits me better than him."

YEAR IN REVIEW

• Lewis not satisfied, but says foundation is solid • Teammate: 'Good riddance,' Corey • The envelope please ... • 2003 season recap • 2003 storylines • Lewis plans no changes, credits his co-workers • 17th pick could bolster defense • Major free agent acquisitions pay off in starting lineup • Johnson a hot property • Kitna wants to stay Bengal • Rookie class makes immediate contributions • Season stats

Though Kitna has offered to restructure the final year of his contract, it remains unclear if the 31-year-old will be the most reasonable fit to start for the Bengals in 2004.

Rookie quarterback Carson Palmer, who was the No. 1 pick in April's draft and the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner, spent the entire season on the sideline watching Kitna excel while learning the intricacies of the Bengals offense.

He is the first No. 1 pick not to play a snap in his rookie season since Ki-Jana Carter in 1995.

"Carson is going to be a heck of a quarterback," said Kitna, who set career highs for passing yards (3,591) and touchdowns (26) this season. "I can't wait to watch him. What happens in the long run is for the coaches and this organization to decide."

In his news conference Monday, Lewis was somewhat non-committal when asked about the quarterback situation.

"We're not going to make a decision on that today. I told Jon that," he said. "We're going to wait and see what's best."

The Bengals appear to have a number of options regarding Kitna, who is due $3.375 million in base salary and will count $4.375 million toward the salary cap next year.

Palmer's contract calls for a base salary of $1.337 million that will count $2.767 million toward the salary cap in 2004.

The Bengals could restructure Kitna's contract, release him with a $1 million salary-cap hit or trade him.

"If I don't play another down in the NFL, I'm fine," Kitna said. "If I play another seven years, I'm fine. If I don't ever play here again, I'm fine. If I'm the backup here, I'm fine. It doesn't matter."

Lewis insisted that any decision regarding the quarterback next season would be made with the team's best interests in mind.

"That situation will get worked out one way or another, and everybody is going to feel good about it," he said. "That's the way we're going to go, and we'll go forward."

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