Elite? No, but Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer is one of the most important players in the NFL

“It’s a quarterback’s league.”

How many times have you heard that sentence uttered in reference to the National Football League?

The reason why you’ve heard it so much is because it’s true. Without a competent signal caller, you won’t win with any regularity in the NFL.

The Arizona Cardinals began the second phase of their offseason workout program Monday, which means players could run plays on the field without pads or helmets.

The most reassuring sight of the day was quarterback Carson Palmer taking snaps with the first team, just 167 days after undergoing surgery on his torn left ACL.

What transpired on the field Monday was far from matching the speed and intensity of what goes on during regular-season games, but it was certainly a huge step in the right direction for Palmer and the Cardinals.

The veteran quarterback is constantly labeled as “overrated” by critics around the league. He was a Heisman Trophy winner at USC and the top overall pick back in 2003. While he’s put up impressive statistics, he still hasn’t quarterbacked a team to a playoff win.

Throw all that aside. The fact is, Carson Palmer is one of the most important quarterbacks in the league when it comes to their respective team’s success.

Since he’s been in Arizona, the Cardinals are 16-6 in games started by Palmer and 5-6 in games started by someone else.

His .727 winning percentage since the beginning of 2013 ranks among the best figures in the league.