Not many players know what it's like to have the pressure to deliver as a No. 1 pick, let alone as a quarterback like Joe Burrow. One of the few perfectly qualified is Carson Palmer, who dealt with this same pressure 17 years ago as the top overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Palmer retired in 2017, but he still has a few nuggets of advice for the title- and Heisman-winning quarterback:
“The best thing he can do is go in there and work his butt off,” Palmer told Doug & Wolf od Arizona Sports 98.7 FM when asked for some advice to guide the young Burrow. “He’s a hometown kid. He grew up an hour northeast of downtown Cincinnati. That city’s in his blood. He’s got family and high school teammates and teachers and so many people pulling for him. He’s going to have a ton of support.”
Most importantly, Palmer shared advice for the rough times that may arise as Burrow kickstarts his professional football career:
“If you get shellacked in Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, just keep fighting. Because they are a couple steps behind, personnel-wise. There’s a reason they’re drafting number one, it’s because they’re a couple years away. So just come in and know that it’s gong to be a rough start from the jump. But coming off a national championship, coming off all the success he’s had at the collegiate level, maybe his work ethic can come in and create a culture there that there’s a certain level of commitment, a certain level of work ethic and expertise and professionalism that he can bring in and I hope to see that rub off on all the guys around him.”
Palmer didn't have the most successful of rookie seasons, throwing for 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. His second year was formidably better, throwing for 32 touchdowns, only 12 interceptions and racking up 3,836 yards while leading the Bengals to an 11-5 record.
If Burrow follows this advice, it should keep him level-headed as he handles the expectations of his first year in the league.
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