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Last week, we created a post about quarterbacks who might be available on the open market this offseason. Over the weekend, reports emerged that added Bengals QB Carson Palmer’s name to the list. Palmer demanded a trade from the Bengals, threatening to retire if he isn’t.
Given that demand, we thought we’d look at Palmer’s worth and who he might be an answer for.
Palmer, the top overall pick in the 2003 draft, has been a seven-year starter for the Bengals. He’s played well at times, but since he suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs following the 2005 season, he hasn’t played at the same level. This season, he threw 20 interceptions but also threw 26 touchdowns, and his play after Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco were out for the year, he played better down the stretch.
The Bengals say that they won’t trade Palmer and won’t even listen to offers, and owner/GM Mike Brown is just stubborn enough to make that statement stick. But if Palmer threatens to retire – which is his only real leverage, given that he is under contract till 2014 – the Bengals may have no choice to back down. That could be awkward, because Carson’s younger brother Jordan is the Bengals’ backup right now.
Palmer is no longer an elite quarterback, but he’s still able to play at an above-average level. In a vacuum, that means he’s worth a price just below what the Eagles got for Donovan McNabb last season – a second-round and fourth-round pick. While a team in desperate need of a quarterback might be willing to pay that reasonable price, taking on Palmer’s high-ticket contract for the next four seasons is going to be untenable for most teams.
So that high price, plus the Bengals’ stubbornness, makes a Palmer deal look unlikely. And that means for Palmer’s plan to come true, he must play hardball and make retirement look more like reality than an attempt for leverage.
Football Relativity 