Sources: Palmer Wants out of Cincinnati...or Retire

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Sources reveal to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer will request a trade or contemplate retirement if no trade is made. Palmer has personally made no comment regarding the report by ESPN. Of course, the Bengals had no comment on the matter.

It's apparent why Palmer wants out. Mort provides the answer.

"Palmer has become the object of fan frustration in the past two years and sources said he has grown frustrated with the team's inconsistencies."

Here's the numbers for Palmer since being tabbed as the Bengals starting QB.

Year	G	GS	QBrec	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD	Int	Rate
2004	13	13	6-7-0	263	432	60.9	2897	18	18	77.3
2005*	16	16	11-5-0	345	509	67.8	3836	32	12	101.1
2006*	16	16	8-8-0	324	520	62.3	4035	28	13	93.9
2007	16	16	7-9-0	373	575	64.9	4131	26	20	86.7
2008	4	4	0-4-0	75	129	58.1	731	3	4	69.0
2009	16	16	10-6-0	282	466	60.5	3094	21	13	83.6
2010	16	16		362	586	61.8	3970	26	20	82.4
Career	97	97	42-39-0	2024	3217	62.9	22694	154	100	86.9

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/23/2011.

After a fantastic 2005 season, Palmer's second in the NFL as a player (he sat his entire first season as he learned the ropes), Palmer's production has been in a steady decline. The numbers completely bear that point.

I can see why. Mort's sources state that Palmer is "frustrated". Over the past two years (at least) there's a reason Palmer may be frustrated. The Bengals have no offensive identity. The philosophy seems to change on impulse. In 2009, Cincy was primarily a running team with Cedric Benson carting the load. The Bengals were 10-6 and won the AFC North.

This past season, the Bengals snared Terrell Owens via free agency and drafted Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley. Maybe the Bengals would evolve into a passing team. It never materialized and the Bengals finished 4-12. Since that magical 2005 season, Palmer's passer rating has declined in seasons where he was the full-time QB. The crowd at PBS has also shown its disdain over Palmer and his bad decisions and lack of accuracy.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

If the Bengals decide to give in to Palmer's demands, look for Palmer to attempt a reunion with his USC head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle. Matt Hasselbeck is a free agent and even though Caroll says he wants Hasselbeck back in a Seahawks uniform, he could go the way of Palmer if he is available.

Here's what makes me laugh about this. If the sources are correct, Palmer is saying "deal me or I quit".

Yeah, I want that guy running my offense.

Update: Just about a half an hour ago, Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer posted on his blog that the Bengals are currently not entertaining any offers for Palmer. Bengals team president Mike Brown did confirm that Palmer requested a trade.

Update #2: Palmer's agent, David Dunn, released a statement on the affairs between Palmer and the Bengals. Again, Reedy has this posted.

“Carson met with Bengals owner Mike Brown recently. They both expressed profound disappointment in how the team fared last season, and in how it has generally performed during Carson’s tenure with the team. Because of the lack of success that Carson and the Bengals have experienced together, Carson strongly feels that a separation between him and the Bengals would be in the best interest of both parties. Carson could not respect the Brown family any more than he does or be more appreciative of what the Browns have done for him and his wife Shaelyn and his family.”

You can consider this a bit of fluff. All the rights things were said, er, written. There isn't exactly the phrase "requested to be traded" in there, but "separation" was. Maybe it is time for Palmer to go elsewhere. He obviously doesn't want to be in Cincinnati any longer.