Former Cardinals QB Carson Palmer featured on ‘A Football Life’
Sep 17, 2018, 1:07 PM
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
On Friday, former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer was immortalized in the TV show “A Football Life” on the NFL Network.
From his storied high school beginnings to a Heisman-winning campaign at USC in college, and finally the first and only playoff win of his career with the Cardinals in 2015, Palmer’s football life was lengthy, memorable and historic. The show covered every step of his journey.
Palmer’s most successful seasons came when he was the signal caller for Arizona under head coach Bruce Arians. Arians and Arizona general manager Steve Keim were both featured on the show.
In his first year with the Cardinals, Palmer led the team to a 10-6 record but one game short of a playoff berth. The next season he helped the Cardinals get off to a 9-1 start before suffering a season-ending ACL tear, the second ACL injury of his career.
“That was probably our best team. I mean we were 9-1, Carson was on pace to be all-pro that year. He was playing that good of ball,” said teammate Larry Fitzgerald.
Palmer did not give up.
“I was extremely motivated to come back again because not really anybody had done it twice, two knee injuries,” said Palmer.
He would play in three more seasons with the Cardinals, including his comeback year in 2015 when he set a career high in passing yards and touchdowns. A shoulder injury ended his season and career in 2017.
“The best deep ball thrower I’ve ever played with and I’ve ever seen,” Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson said about Palmer.
After playing the first seven seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, Palmer demanded a trade by Bengals owner Mike Brown and was sent to Oakland.
“He’s a very, very, very stubborn man. I might be more stubborn than him. I said ‘Mr. Brown, if you don’t trade me I’m going to retire,'” Palmer said.
He was traded again from the Raiders to the Cardinals after the 2012 season.
The Bengals received a first round pick and a 2012 second-round pick in exchange for Palmer in 2011 while the Cardinals gave up a 2014 sixth-round pick and a conditional pick to the Raiders in 2013.
