The Palmer Situation

In sports nowadays, it's quite often you hear or read about a disgruntled player who's dissatisfied and fed up with where he plays or where he's headed to after a trade, but never have we seen a situation made as publicly as the one in Cincinnati involving QB Carson Palmer. Following their disappointing last place finish in the AFC North this past season, the Bengals Quarterback requested a trade, only to have it denied the next day by the team's president. Several months later, no progress has been made between the two parties and both sides are sticking to their guns. Despite Palmer threatening to retire from the game of football if he isn't traded come the start of the 2011 season, developments as recent as today says the team still has no intentions to deal their 2-time Pro-Bowl QB.

Although the retiring part sounds like somewhat of a joke, the former Heisman Trophy winner isn't bluffing and says he has $80 million stashed away in the bank, according to a friend of his. This unknown friend of Palmer's quoted him on a local news station in Cincinnati as saying, "I don't have to play football for money. I'll play it for the love of the game, but that would have to be elsewhere." Though the Bengals front office hasn't flinched yet, unless they've got a trick up their sleeve or plan on selecting a QB in this year's Draft, I suggest they act fast considering their roster lacks on the depth chart at the Quarterback position. Carson's younger brother Jordan and former college standout Dan LeFevour fill out the Bengals' number two and three spots in the QB department, but neither are seasoned enough to take the starting job, despite LeFevour's outstanding college career at Central Michigan where he set the record for the most total touchdowns in NCAA history.

With the 2011 NFL Draft a little more than a month away, there's still plenty of time for the Bengals to reconsider holding onto Palmer, and with the 4th overall pick, I won't be surprised if they take Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert granted either is available. And if they do, the demand for a QB will be that much greater considering both names are atop many teams' lists. One of the handful of teams who were linked to landing Palmer when trade talks first surfaced, were the San Francisco 49ers. And as a die hard fan, I wouldn't mind acquiring Palmer one bit for the simple fact that it would mean the end of the Alex Smith regime. But even if 49ers owner and team president Jed York was unable to land Palmer, other trade options for a QB include Philadelphia's Kevin Kolb and Vince Young of the Titans, both of whom are younger than Palmer. In Tennessee, the Titans front office and Vince Young appear to be in a similar predicament as the Bengals, other than the retiring part of coarse.

Hell, at this point, perhaps even the lockout could benefit both parties in working something out. Team's remain unable to trade with one another at this point, but maybe the sun will come out of the clouds and Palmer and the Bengals will work something out. But until then, I'm sticking with my gut feeling and think Cincy will end up eating their words and dealing him in due time.