Former NFL quarterback Carson Palmer was a huge part of the turnaround of the Cincinnati Bengals, leading the team to the playoffs during his second season at the helm after a 15-year absence for the franchise.
At that time, the Bengals head coach was Marvin Lewis, who grabbed the reins in 2003.
However, after three straight seasons without a playoff appearance, Cincinnati finally decided to part ways with Lewis, a decision that some felt was a long time coming.
Palmer is now wishing whomever takes over as head coach of the Bengals good luck, saying that the job is not an easy one:
“That’s a tough job,” Palmer said, according to Fletcher Page of The Cincinnati Enquirer. “There’s no doubt about that. There’s some jobs that are easier than others, that’s for sure. That’s one of the tougher ones in the league without having just the natural GM and the same scouting department, some of the things other teams throughout the league have. My only advice would be, ‘Good luck.’”
Palmer, who played his collegiate football at USC, was originally selected by Cincinnati with the first overall pick of the 2003 NFL Draft. However, Palmer did not play at all for the Bengals during his rookie campaign, instead learning behind veteran Jon Kitna.
He made his first appearance in 2004, starting 13 games and throwing for 2,897 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions, but the following year, Palmer made the Pro Bowl after finishing with 3,836 yards and a league-leading 32 touchdowns.
The Fresno, Ca. native made back-to-back trips to Honolulu in 2005 and 2006 and made three Pro Bowls total, with his last appearance coming in 2015 with the Arizona Cardinals.
Palmer played the first seven year of his career with the Bengals followed by a short two-year stint with the Oakland Raiders. He then played the final five years of his NFL tenure with the Cardinals.
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