Even with the NFL season on hold, Cinncinati Bengals owner Mike Brown is staying consistent with his word on quarterback Carson Palmer.
“We don’t plan to trade Carson,” Brown told the NFL Network at the league’s spring owners meetings in Indianapolis. “He’s important to us. He’s a very fine player, and we do want him to come back. If he chooses not to, he’d retire. And we would go with Andy Dalton, the younger player we drafted, who’s a good prospect.
“Ideally, we’d have both of them. That’d be the best way to go forward. If we don’t have Carson, we’ll go with Andy.”
Mr. Brown continues to reiterate that, for Palmer, it’s either Cincinnati or nowhere. Palmer told the Bengals he was done with the organization. When former TCU quarterback Andy Dalton was drafted, it seemed they’d finally grant him his wish. Instead, once the NFL season resumes, Palmer will be staring at retirement.
With a young core of talented receivers in Jordan Shipley, Jermaine Gresham and A.J. Green, and the likely departure of Ochocinco and T.O., the Bengals should quit playing stubborn games with their former franchise QB.
By trading Palmer, what’s the worst that can happen? Maybe, he’ll beat them later down the road in a measly regular season game. But realistically, at this point in his career, he’s washed up and not a Super Bowl-caliber threat. By sending him elsewhere, the Bengals would at least receive some compensation.
Let the guy go, get a draft pick in return and call it a day.
