Carson Chats: Cardinals QB wants to get hit a little bit

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Quarterback Carson Palmer, now in his second year with the Arizona Cardinals, meets with the media several times during training camp.

Here, in this space, we’ll highlight many of the key topics and personnel conversations he has with reporters following the morning walk-through:

On looking forward to the first preseason game against the Houston Texans…

“I actually always hope to get knocked down a bunch of times during the preseason just because if you don’t, you get to Week 1 of the regular season, Week 1, 2, 3 and if your body is not used to being that kind of sore because it’s so rare — it only happens five months a year — that soreness kind of lingers on through the week for a little bit longer, so I like to get that soreness out of the way before the regular season starts.”

On facing the Cardinals defense on a daily basis…

“It’s a challenge. The personnel is very well built. But more than anything, it’s the scheme. Coach (Todd) Bowles puts in a new defense every day, a new blitz every day. You can’t get a beat on what you think is coming. He’ll show you a look where they’re bringing one free safety one day and then they’ll have the exact same look four periods later in practice and it’s a blitz from the other side of the field that looks exactly the same. They do a ton, and it’s very well built and very well orchestrated. I have a ton of respect for the way he coaches those guys and the way he prepares them and changes things up consistently.”

On the goals for the preseason opener

“Just being efficient. I don’t know how many reps we’ll get, but whether it’s one drive or two drives, you want to go down the field and score and not settle for a field goal; and just see us be efficient, see the mental errors disappear and just see guys controlling what they can control and doing their jobs.”

And getting hit; have you shared that with your offensive line?

“No, I don’t want those guys knowing that. It’s just kind of something I’ve learned over the years and experienced year in, year out going through preseason and getting into the regular season. If we miss a block here or there, that’s OK.”

It really does help get ready for the regular season…

“You can’t replicate standing up and just getting slammed into and knocked a couple of feet in the air, then hitting the ground and rolling. Your body is not used to it. You can lift weights—there’s a million things you can do—but unless you do that, your body is not used to it. It just gets your muscles used to that soreness, that type of soreness.”

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