ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals’ Carson Palmer: We’ve come a long ways

Jun 12, 2013, 7:41 PM | Updated: 9:21 pm

Study. Practice. Review.

It’s how Carson Palmer has lived his life every day for the past eight weeks, ever since the Cardinals’ first on-field activity with voluntary veteran minicamp in May.

“We are all learning so much every day,” Palmer said Wednesday. “We’ve put in so much and we’ve repped it so many times that things are definitely really starting to click. There are certain concepts and certain plays that we are really getting good at and there’s a bunch that we still need to work at.

“But you can’t put a grade or quantify exactly where we’re at or how far we’ve come, but we’ve come a long ways.”

Palmer, 33, has received a crash course in a brand new offense that has him excited about what will be his 11th NFL season.

“There’s some really good stuff in the running game,” he said. “There’s some really good schematic things in the protections. There’s a lot of opportunities to throw the ball down the field, but there’s also a lot of opportunities to get completions and consistently move the chains.”

The Cardinals are counting on exactly that.

While it doesn’t fall all on Palmer’s shoulders, he’ll be the one mainly responsible to fix what ailed the team a year ago: 15.6 points per game (31st out of 32 teams) and 263.1 yards per game (32nd).

“I won’t be taking any time off and I don’t think guys will be or should be taking time off,” he said with one final practice remaining before the team breaks until training camp in six weeks.

Palmer said his time will be well spent, planning to train not only at home in Southern California but also in Minnesota, joining Larry Fitzgerald for what has become an annual offseason regimen for the Cardinals wide receiver.

“Watch all of these practices. Study all of these practices. Study all of the installs,” Palmer said of his summer checklist. “And then go back over some games from last year when Coach (Bruce Arians) was in Indianapolis and watch them play against division opponents, some of the teams that we’re going to play this upcoming season, so a lot of work just getting ready for training camp.

“We don’t have that much time, that first game isn’t that far away.”

Presented By
Western Governors University

Arizona Cardinals

Desmond Ridder runs the rock against Houston...

Tyler Drake

Desmond Ridder eager to remind fellow Cardinals QB Clayton Tune about college wins

Cardinals quarterback Desmond Ridder may not know Kyler Murray just yet, but he and Clayton Tune go way back.

20 hours ago

LSU's Malik Nabers, a top NFL Draft prospect...

Kevin Zimmerman

NFL Draft: Malik Nabers to visit Arizona Cardinals after LSU pro day, per report

Top NFL Draft receiver prospect Malik Nabers will reportedly visit with the Arizona Cardinals after the LSU Tigers' pro day.

23 hours ago

Desmond Ridder looks to pass...

Tyler Drake

QB1 or not, Desmond Ridder keeping starter mentality with Cardinals

New Cardinals QB Desmond Ridder is focused on using the good and the bad from his first two seasons rather than listening to outside chatter.

2 days ago

Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray look on...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon: Kyler Murray’s ‘best football is ahead of him’

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon believes Kyler Murray will continue taking the necessary steps forward with a full offseason of work.

2 days ago

Kyler Murray chats with Jonathan Gannon...

Arizona Sports

Arizona Cardinals will face ‘really good’ AFC opponent for joint preseason practices

The Arizona Cardinals expect to hold joint practices in the preseason against a really good AFC opponent, in the words of Jonathan Gannon.

2 days ago

Patriots and Cardinals kick off return in 2020...

Associated Press

NFL owners approve new kickoff rules for 2024

NFL kickoff rules will take on a hybrid approach similar to the XFL. League owners approved the new measures Tuesday.

2 days ago

Cardinals’ Carson Palmer: We’ve come a long ways