Carson Palmer is dead-set on never playing for the Cincinnati Bengals as he continues to maintain he’d rather retire than put on a Bengals’ uniform again. Palmer originally demanded a trade out of Cincinnati near the end of January, but has been quiet since. On Tuesday, however, reports surfaced indicating Palmer was serious about his threats to retire as the quarterback remained defiant.
According to a friend of Palmer’s, the Bengals’ quarterback has $80 million in the bank and is determined to get out of Cincinnati one way or another. Palmer reportedly said he’ll never set foot in Paul Brown Stadium again, as well.
According to Tuesday’s report, Palmer said “I have $80 million in the bank. 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. I’m prepared to live my life.”
His reported quote about never stepping foot in the Bengals’ stadium seems to gel with his threat of retirement as playing a road game in Cincinnati would violate his pact. On a serious note, a split would be best for both parties at this point. Palmer doesn’t want to be in Cincinnati and the Bengals could use a clean-break from the quarterback, perhaps taking advantage of a chance to start anew.
With the NFL in the midst of an intense labor dispute, and the lockout deadline looming, it’s unlikely Palmer is traded anytime soon. As long as a new collective bargaining agreement isn’t in place, Palmer is stuck with the Bengals, for better or for worse. It’s a dispute that could drag on, especially if the Bengals are unable to find a suitable partner or package that fits their eye, perhaps leading to a messy situation by the time games actually do get started.
For more on the Palmer’s trade demand, check out the rest of our StoryStream. To connect with Bengals fans, head on over to SB Nation’s Cincy Jungle.