Carson Palmer

Carson Palmer To Miss Eight Weeks

October 22nd, 2017 at 3:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer will undergo surgery after suffering a broken left arm in today’s game and will be sidelined for eight weeks, head coach Bruce Arians told reporters, including Craig Grialou of 98.7 FM (Twitter link).

Palmer will likely be placed on injured reserve in the coming days, and given the timeline of his injury, he could miss the remainder of the season. The NFL’s IR rules require a minimum absence of eight weeks, meaning Palmer could return for Week 16. But given Arizona’s current standing — the club is now 3-4, and had only a 2% chance of earning a postseason berth before today’s shutout loss to the Rams — the Cardinals may simply opt to shut Palmer down for the year.

Palmer, who will turn 38 years old in December, has flirted with retirement in the past, so it’s entirely possible that today’s injury represents the end of his 14-year NFL career. While Palmer hasn’t replicated his 2015 MVP-level performance this season, he’s been an above-average quarterback, as his 2017 quarterback rating, completion percentage, and yards per attempt average have been in line with his career norms. Palmer is signed through 2018, and is scheduled to earn a non-guaranteed $12.5MM base salary next season.

With Palmer out of the picture, the Cardinals will turn to Drew Stanton as their new starting quarterback. Stanton wasn’t effective on Sunday, as he completed only five of 14 attempts for 62 yards and one interception. However, entering a losing contest midway through is never an easy task, and Stanton will now get two weeks (Arizona is on bye in Week 8) to prepare before taking on the 49ers in November 5 road game.

Stanton will be the Cardinals’ starter, and he’ll be backed up by former first-round pick Blaine Gabbert, who’s been inactive for every game this season after inking a one-year pact in the spring. Arizona doesn’t currently have a quarterback on its practice squad, but the club could conceivably consider an addition in the coming days.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Palmer, Rams

June 27th, 2017 at 3:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC West:

Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer won’t put a timetable on his retirement. “I love every facet of it,” Palmer told the team’s website. “I don’t want to stop. But I’ll have to wait and make that decision after the season. … There’s always urgency, especially as you get to the second half of your career. You just never know when your last year is going to be.” For now, all Palmer knows is that he is returning in 2017 to serve as Arizona’s starting QB. Last year, the veteran threw for 4,233 yards with 26 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Pro Football Focus had Palmer rated as the No. 17 QB in the NFL – not his best showing, bu tit still put him ahead of guys like Cam Newton, Philip Rivers, and Carson Wentz.
This is a make-or-break year for Trumaine Johnson, Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News writes. The Rams cornerback is betting on himself, it seems, since he and the Rams are far apart in contract negotiations. If Johnson can turn in a monster year, he’ll get a monster contract to match next spring, whether it comes from L.A. or somewhere else. If not, Johnson may regret turning down whatever multi-year deal is being offered to him at this time. Bonsignore seems to think that Johnson will respond well to the pressure since he’ll be motivated to maximize his value.
Dan Graziano of ESPN.com ran down the next quarterbacks to get big money deals following Derek Carr‘s brand new pact. Seahawks signal caller Russell Wilson is among those listed, even though his deal runs through 2019. In two summers, however, Wilson could find himself in talks on a deal that could give him an even longer extension than Aaron Rodgers. Wilson will turn 31 in ’19.

NFC Notes: Lions, Saints, Cards, Redskins

April 18th, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Quarterback Matthew Stafford told reporters Tuesday that he “would love” to sign an extension with the Lions, but further comments indicate he’s looking to cash in – not take any kind of a discount – writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Stafford addressed whether a mega-deal with the Lions would hinder their ability to build a quality team around him, saying: “I know every year teams find good ways to put good teams around good quarterbacks. You see it every year. So I’m not too worried about that. I know that the salary caps and all that kind of stuff is as malleable as you want it to be, so I think you just go and try and make a good decision for not only the player but the team and go from there.” Only four of the NFL’s 10 highest-paid quarterbacks were on teams that made the playoffs last season, with top-compensated signal-caller Andrew Luck among those whose clubs didn’t qualify. Thanks to the ever-rising cap, Stafford, 17th in QB salary in 2016, could be in line to supplant Luck as the league’s richest passer on his next deal.

Cardinals QB Carson Palmer To Return In ’17

February 9th, 2017 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s official: Carson Palmer says he’ll return for the 2017 season. The announcement has been expected for about a week now since Bruce Arians hinted that the veteran QB would be back.

Palmer, a three-time Pro Bowler, will turn 37 during the 2017 season. While he has defied his age in the past, 2016 was a so-so year for him and one could argue that he’s in decline. The Cards are happy to have Palmer back, but it might make sense for them to invest in a backup QB who can simultaneously be a future starting option and a safety net in the present.

In 2016, Palmer threw for 4,233 yards with 26 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Pro Football Focus had Palmer rated as the No. 17 QB in the NFL, which still puts him ahead of notables like Cam Newton, Philip Rivers, and Carson Wentz.

Palmer is under contract through 2018 and set to rake in a $15.5MM base salary next season. All in all, he’ll carry a $24.1MM cap hit.

Cardinals HC Hints At Carson Palmer Return

February 3rd, 2017 at 2:33pm CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like Carson Palmer won’t be keeping us in suspense for much longer. When asked about Carson Palmer’s future on ESPN (Twitter link), Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said, “I think he’ll announce he’s coming back real soon.”

This week, things got murky when a report claimed Palmer had put his Arizona home up for sale, pulled his kids out of school, and relocated to another state. Soon after, another Arizona beat writer heard that no such plans were in motion. Indeed, Palmer remains rooted in Arizona and it sounds like he will remain with the club in 2017.

Palmer, a three-time Pro Bowler, will turn 37 during the ’17 season. While he has defied his age in the past, 2016 was a rough year for him and it led many to wonder if he was finished. Now that Palmer is (likely) coming back, it will be interesting to see whether the Cards still pursue other QB options. Reportedly, the team likes Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Bills signal caller Tyrod Taylor.

Palmer is very close with Larry Fitzgerald and the receiver’s decision to return for another season likely played a role in Palmer’s call to come back.

NFC Notes: Cardinals, Palmer, Lions, C. Long

February 1st, 2017 at 5:12pm CST by Zachary Links

A quick look around the NFC:

Despite reports to the contrary, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears Carson Palmer‘s house is not for sale. Furthermore, his family has left town during the offseason before, so perhaps we shouldn’t read too much into the news. It’s still not clear if the three-time Pro Bowler will return for what would be his age-37 season with the Cardinals.
If the Patriots didn’t reach out to Chris Long, he could have wound up with the Lions instead, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. “Coach [Jim] Caldwell was awesome throughout that whole free agency process,” Long said. “They showed me a lot of respect that I didn’t necessarily deserve, in my eyes, because the last few years were so tough for me. But Coach Caldwell thought I could get back to who I was, and I’ll always respect him for that.” This year, he had four sacks and 32 tackles while playing in all 16 games for the Pats.
Redskins long snapper Nick Sundberg‘s new four-year deal is worth $4.4MM, Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post tweets. As part of the deal, he’ll earn a $610K signing bonus with a $900K base in 2017.

NFC Notes: Palmer, 49ers, Saints, Bears

January 31st, 2017 at 8:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cardinals don’t know if quarterback Carson Palmer will return in 2017 for what would be his age-37 season, but one new rumbling on the three-time Pro Bowler could be cause for pessimism. Palmer has put his Arizona home up for sale, pulled his kids out of school and relocated to another state, Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 hears (Twitter link via one of Jurecki’s colleagues, Jody Oehler). But Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic has radically different information, tweeting that Palmer has not put his house up for sale. For now, Palmer is under contract through 2018 and set to rake in a $15MM base salary next season.

West Notes: 49ers, Palmer, Bolts, San Diego

January 30th, 2017 at 10:20am CST by Sam Robinson

Jed York can’t officially hire Kyle Shanahan until after Super Bowl LI, but he didn’t make a secret out of who the 49ers‘ next head coach will be. The point man on the 49ers’ GM and HC hiring processes, York referenced Shanahan as his coach in an interview with TheMMQB.com’s Peter King.

“So many opportunities are missed in the NFL because people don’t want to do something different. We’re OK with that, because I am confident in Kyle and [new GM] John [Lynch],” York said, via King. “John has watched John Elway, and how he’s built a team in Denver. As easy as it is to say he hasn’t built a team yet—I get that—I talk to Kyle, and he says John is the most prepared of all the TV [people] he meets in the production meetings before games.

“We understand we’ll have to live with growing pains, but I’m willing to do that because I believe the upside with both of them is so great.”

King reports York met with Lynch in both San Francisco and Atlanta last week, with Shanahan also meeting with Lynch in Atlanta, both before scheduled summits with GM finalists George Paton and Terry McDonough. San Francisco will give six-year contracts to both Lynch and Shanahan after York made the most stunning hire of the year on Sunday night.

Here’s more out of the 49ers’ hire, along with some other news out west.

Assistant GM Tom Gamble will be given a chance to prove he should remain with the 49ers, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets. Gamble ascended to his current position last summer. Part of the fallout from last night’s stunning Lynch announcement was the new GM already had an experienced personnel mind for his top lieutenant. Gamble, who’s enjoyed two stints with the 49ers, will have an audition period through the draft, per Maiocco. Gamble worked with Chip Kelly in both Philadelphia and San Francisco as well, but the Eagles fired him after the 2014 season.
Carson Palmer confirmed he hasn’t made his decision about returning for a 15th NFL season. “I guess nothing’s ever official until it is, but I’d like to play if my body responds the way I hope,” the 37-year-old Cardinals quarterback said in a text message to Dan Bickley of the Arizona Daily Republic. Palmer missed a game this season because of a concussion. A Sunday report put the statuses of both Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald in doubt. Palmer is due a base salary of $15.5MM in 2017, with a $2MM roster bonus attached to his employment. The Cardinals have not placed a timetable on Palmer and Fitzgerald but would like to know the duo’s decisions by mid-February.
Former Vikings wide receivers coach George Stewart will move to Los Angeles and become the Chargers‘ special teams coach, Alex Marvez of the Sporting News reports (on Twitter). Stewart resided as the Vikings’ longest-tenured assistant coach prior to making this decision, having coached Minnesota’s receivers since 2007.
An NFL return to San Diego is not expected to occur for the foreseeable future, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune notes. While the league would look to San Diego if it planned to expand, that’s not on the agenda, Krasovic reports. And a source informs him another team relocating there is not expected to happen. Some familiar with the inner-workings of NFL stadium procurement believe Dean Spanos and Stan Kroenke, now tied together in Los Angeles, would try to discourage fellow owners from supporting another team from moving to San Diego. The southern California city’s appeal to the league has diminished now that L.A. has two teams, per Krasovic.

Cardinals Uncertain If Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald Will Return

January 29th, 2017 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The two players most associated with the Cardinals’ passing game this decade have not yet decided on returning for the 2017 season. Neither Carson Palmer nor Larry Fitzgerald has informed the Cardinals about his plans for ’17, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Both are considering retirement and have been for some time, per Rapoport.

While the Cardinals do not know the duo’s plans, they have been communicating with their quarterback and No. 1 wide receiver since their season ended. And although no set deadline exists, the team would like to know each’s decision by mid-February in order to have sufficient time to plan an offseason strategy. Key Cardinals personnel expect both to return, but Rapoport notes that thinking could be based on hope, to some degree.

A factor in Palmer’s decision will be Arizona’s quarterbacks coach. Freddie Kitchens will now coach the Cardinals’ running backs, with Byron Leftwich — a 2003 draft class mate of Palmer’s — recently hired to coach the QBs. Palmer has not worked with Leftwich, which is factoring into his decision, per Rapoport. Several NFL personnel — one GM, two coaches and several talent evaluators — believe Palmer will retire after observing his 2016 season. But many people close to the quarterback insist he doesn’t know yet.

The tandem’s contract extensions signed last August are not believed to be a factor in this decision-making process, according to Rapoport. Fitzgerald and Palmer are each under contract through 2017, and Palmer intimated multiple times late in 2016 he was planning to come back for his age-37 season. Fitzgerald, though, was more hesitant.

In December, Palmer attempted to convince Fitzgerald to play at least one more season. Fitz’s status for what would be his age-34 slate depends on Palmer, Rapoport reports. A source informed Rapoport Fitzgerald would have a harder time returning if Palmer retires due to the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position. Much of Fitzgerald’s prime encompassed the years between Kurt Warner and Palmer, limiting his capabilities.

Palmer did not fare nearly as well this season as he did when he was an MVP candidate in 2015, but Fitzgerald led the NFL with 107 receptions. Fitzgerald is signed through the 2017 season and would make $11MM in base salary. Palmer is under contract through 2018 and will earn $15MM in base if he comes back. These two represent Arizona’s top two cap holds for ’17, with Palmer set to comprise $24.09MM of the Cards’ cap and Fitz set to take up $15.85MM of it.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, 49ers, Williams

December 31st, 2016 at 9:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Carson Palmer has attempted to convince Larry Fitzgerald to play for at least one more year, Dan Bickley of the Arizona Daily Republic reports. The 37-year-old quarterback’s having “frequent” conversations with the 33-year-old Cardinals wide receiver regarding his future in the NFL.

This runs counter to what came out of Arizona last week, when neither Palmer nor Arians admitted to making efforts to convince Fitz to return. Fitzgerald said he’s “uncertain” about his future as recently as last week, but he’s put up numbers that indicate he should have some time left as a productive pass-catcher. He’s notched the fourth 100-plus-reception season of his 13-year career and is 20 yards away from his eighth 1,000-yard campaign.

Fitzgerald is under contract through 2017 after signing a preseason extension, one that secured him an $11MM salary for next season. The Cardinals have needed Fitzgerald’s best this season after the other two members in a once-formidable receiving top trio have largely disappointed. Michael Floyd is no longer with the team, and John Brown has often been unavailable due to injuries related to a sickle-cell condition.

Here’s more from the NFC West.

A potential Arians retirement has become part of the Cardinals’ news cycle as the team drifted out of contention. But the 64-year-old coach who suffered a health scare earlier this season is not operating like he’s retiring. The fourth-year Arizona leader has begun making offseason plans for the franchise, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reporting Arians is preparing for free agency meetings, the draft and OTAs. A source close to this situation told Florio that everything Arians is saying publicly and privately go against a notion he’s going to step down. Arians himself said last week he’ll be back, and the coach has not been known for mind games since taking the reins in the desert.
The 49ers appear to be pulling the plug on the Trent Baalke era after six years, and Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee wonders if the team will go after what’s become a successful GM tree started by Ron Wolf. The former Packers executive helped the likes of John Schneider, John Dorsey, Reggie McKenzie and Ted Thompson to their current GM roles. Barrows points to branches beneath these decision-makers as options for the struggling franchise. Barrows names Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, 31-year-old Eagles scouting director Troy Brown and Seahawks scouting staffer Trent Kirschner as options, along with longtime Patriots player personnel director Nick Caserio.
Gregg Williams would be open to staying on as Rams DC but doesn’t sound like he thinks that’s going to be in the cards. The 58-year-old defensive boss thanked reporters after Rams practice Friday, per Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News, understanding the new coach will likely want to select his own DC. “I don’t have hobbies. I’m happiest at practice; I’m happiest in games,” Williams said. “The coaches and players get fed up with me in the meetings, so we like to get out here. But, yeah, sure. I’m going to coach for as long as I can.” Los Angeles’ defense ranks 10th in the league in Williams’ fourth year in this position.

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