Carson Palmer had some choice comments about the Cincinnati Bengals in a radio interview with CBS Radio.
Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer was candid in some comments he made to Damon Amendolara from CBS Sports Radio. Palmer took on perceptions of the organization as he was coming out of USC, what LSU quarterback Joe Burrow might be hearing heading to the 2020 NFL Draft, and whether the organization was serious about winning a Super Bowl.
Palmer, who has felt the backlash from Bengals fans for comments critical of the organization, has been steadfast in what he saw, what he felt, and what he heard during his run-up to his time as the starter in Cincinnati.
“…everybody I was talking to along the way , ‘You can’t go to Cincinnati. You got to go somewhere else. You can’t play for the Bengals. You can’t play for the Bengals,”. Palmer, who would go on about the overwhelmingly negative sentiment about going to Cincinnati, would continue about his mindset.
"“I, at the time, was going, ‘This is awesome.’ I was arrogant. I was a young, arrogant kid. ‘I’m good enough. I’m going to change the whole thing around. I’m going to change the narrative.’ Obviously I wasn’t able to change that narrative and flip that.”"
Palmer, who was with the Bengals from 2003 to 2010, has been the subject of fan criticism for his speaking out about his time in Cincinnati, the state of the franchise during his tenure, and whether he felt the organization was engaged in trying to win a Super Bowl. It is a sentiment that has spilled over as the media has been openly questioning whether the Bengals should even draft Burrow.
"“No, that’s why I wanted out,” Palmer said. “I never felt like the organization was really trying to win a Super Bowl and really chasing a Super Bowl. That’s what today’s day and age is. You can’t just hope you draft well and not go after free agents and you end up in the Super Bowl. You got to go get it.”"
Bengals fans have been quick in their criticism of Palmer. Unfortunately, he’s not the only Bengals alum who hasn’t always thought the organization was plotting a course for winning. As Cincinnati prepares for the 2020 NFL Draft, another Heisman Trophy winner, Joe Burrow, could be the next to line up under center in the Queen City, hopefully with better results.