The Arizona Cardinals need to prepare for life after Carson Palmer, and the 37-year-old quarterback sounds more than willing to help the team do that.
Before he took part in Bruce Arians’ charity golf tournament over the weekend, Palmer was asked about the possibility of the Cardinals drafting his successor next month.
“I’ve been in that mentor role for a decade now, really,” he said, per Craig Morgan of ArizonaSports.com. “Not to float my own boat, but I think I’m pretty good at it. I know I’ve had many great mentors and role models and guys to look up to; guys I’ve learned a lot from so I know how to approach being that guy and I’ve been doing it for a long time.”
Palmer said former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna was “probably the most instrumental individual in my career,” as Kitna helped show him the ropes with the Cincinnati Bengals back in 2004. He said Kitna was all you could ask for in a role model and that he strives to be the same for younger players.
“I think it’s important, whether it be learning from how a guy takes care of his body, how a guy studies, how a guy is a mentor, how a guy is a leader, you take bits and pieces that fit the person you are and you don’t try to be somebody you’re not,” Palmer added. “If you’re not the same person, like Jon and I aren’t, you’ve got to take bits and pieces and make them your own and move on from there.”
It would not be a surprise if 2017 is Palmer’s last season, and there have already been rumblings that the Cardinals are interested in trading up for one particular QB in this year’s draft class. If Arizona ends up doing that, the youngster will have a great opportunity to learn.
