At the moment, Carson Palmer seems like a man who’s ready to leave Cincinnati for good. Palmer says he feels strongly that a separation is needed, he’s selling his house in Cincinnati, and he’s stating emphatically that he wants to be traded.
But that doesn’t mean Palmer won’t be a Bengal in 2011.
Peter King makes a case that it’s not over for Palmer in Cincinnati, noting that new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden will work hard at pitching Palmer on the Bengals’ new offense, and that Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens will probably both be gone whenever the 2011 season starts.
Gruden said last week that he wasn’t looking to get involved in Palmer’s situation, but that may simply be what Gruden thinks Palmer wants to hear now: After a frustrating 2010 season, Palmer doesn’t seem like he wants to hear from anyone involved with the Bengals right now.
With a lockout coming, however, every player in the league is about to have some time away from his team and his coaches. By the time the lockout ends, Palmer may have cooled off a bit, and may be ready to listen to what Gruden and Marvin Lewis have to say. And since Bengals owner Mike Brown sounds adamant that he wants to pay Palmer the nearly $50 million remaining on his contract over the next four years, maybe -- just maybe -- Palmer can be persuaded to stick around.