It seems like ages ago that Carson Palmer was the Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback and franchise player. After being drafted first overall by the team in 2003, Palmer had many successful seasons with the Bengals before having an acrimonious split with them.
Palmer threatened to retire rather than play for owner Mike Brown ever again. People forget just how ugly things got (here’s a good refresher). The team eventually traded Palmer to the Raiders during the 2011 season. After two poor seasons in Oakland, Palmer ended up in Arizona and has experienced a revitalization of his career.
On Sunday Palmer will face the Bengals for the second time since they traded him away following his mini-retirement. In an interview with FOX Sports’ Alex Marvez, Brown said he regrets the way things ended with Palmer.
“I like Carson Palmer personally,” Brown told Marvez. “I did when he was here. I regret it broke apart the way it did. I don’t want him to beat us any more than he wants us to beat him. I’m sure that will be in the back of his mind. But other than that, I wish him well.
“He’s a special passer, very accurate,” Brown continued. “I look at him play and I see the player that we had when he was here. When he’s on and playing the way he can play, he is a big-time winning quarterback.”
Brown thought Palmer was bluffing with the retirement talk, instead believing the quarterback had several years left in him. It turns out he was right.
Though some Bengals players at the time felt Palmer was wussing out on them, the former Heisman Trophy winner was just doing what was best for him. He ultimately ended up in a great spot and is now performing at the level everyone expected from him when he became the top overall draft pick over a decade ago.
Helmet smack to Pro Football Talk
