After 15 seasons in the NFL, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has announced his retirement from the league. Palmer’s final season was cut short after he broke his arm mid-season and was placed on Injured Reserve. This news comes one day after his head coach Bruce Arians announced his retirement.
An open letter from Carson Palmer.
Carson calls it a career » https://t.co/3tkaqIqQaD#CheersToCarson pic.twitter.com/9m8Qs5yWpQ
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 2, 2018
Carson Palmer Retires From NFL
Palmer entered the league after playing college football at USC. He was drafted with the first overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2003 NFL Draft and would go on to spend eight seasons with the team, although he didn’t play a single snap in his first season. It was late in his third season when Palmer was believed to have suffered a career-threatening knee injury but it only sidelined him until the start of the following season. He totaled nearly 23,000 passing yards and 452 touchdowns with the Bengals.
Palmer was traded to the Oakland Raiders after being disgruntled with the Bengals. Palmer had a shorter time in Oakland, spending basically a season and a half with the team. He accounted for nearly 7,000 passing yards, 35 touchdowns and 30 interceptions with the team.
Palmer was once again traded in 2013, this time to the Cardinals. His first season with them was solid and he finished with 4,274 passing yards and 24 touchdowns but had 22 interceptions. The following season he re-injured his knee and was placed on Injured Reserve once again.
Palmer recovered and went on to have his best season yet in 2015 where he threw for a career-high of 4,671 yards and 35 touchdowns. His performance earned him an MVP nomination but he lost to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Palmer then went on to face Newton and the Panthers in the NFC Championship game but lost 49-15. In 2016, Palmer reached his sixth season of having 4,000 or more passing yards. He signed a one-year extension with the team and returned in 2017 where he injured his arm and ultimately decided on retirement.
The Cardinals now must not just search for a new head coach but a quarterback who can lead their team to championships.
Main Photo
