Carson Palmer Demands Trade Out of Cincinnati: Bengals May Need New Quarterback

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer and his wife, Shaelynn, are expecting the birth of their third child at any moment, and Palmer appears to be seeking a rebirth as far as his football career is concerned as well.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen announced Sunday afternoon that Palmer is determined to get out of Cincinnati.

According to Mortensen, Palmer, the first overall pick in the 2003 draft, is so adamant about being traded to a team of his liking that he is even prepared to threaten retirement should the Bengals not comply with his demands.

The Bengals coaching staff learned of Palmer's request shortly after they arrived in Mobile, Alabama, where they will coach the North team in Saturday's Senior Bowl. No member from the Bengals front office or coaching staff, nor Palmer or anyone from his camp, had a comment Sunday.

Don't be surprised to see Palmer emerge in the NFC West next season. Three quarterback-needy teams that come to mind as possible destinations are the Seattle Seahawks, where he could play for Pete Carroll, his former head coach at USC when Palmer won the Heisman Trophy; the San Francisco 49ers, where his wife is from; and the Arizona Cardinals, where head coach Ken Whisenhunt has AFC North ties, having been an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers. All three teams are closer to home for Palmer, who hails from the West Coast.

Another possibility could be the Oakland Raiders, who recently announced Hue Jackson as their new head coach. Jackson served as Oakland's offensive coordinator last year. Jackson was once the receivers coach in Cincinnati, including the 2005 season when the Bengals won the AFC North crown. Palmer led Cincinnati to the playoffs that season before suffering a serious knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the first drive of the AFC Wild Card game.

Palmer had a roller-coaster 2010 season, throwing for 3,970 yards and 26 touchdowns, but also tied his career high with 20 interceptions. His turnovers this season, including two costly fumbles at Cleveland and Baltimore, were cause for concern and infuriated an already-frustrated Cincinnati fan-base.

On October 10, 2010, during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Palmer was booed on his home field at Paul Brown Stadium when it was announced that he had reached the 20,000-yard passing mark for his career. Palmer finished that game with three interceptions, one of three games in which he threw three or more picks this season. 

Cincinnati holds the fourth overall pick in April's draft, and the Bengals now must decide if they'd like to use that pick to select a quarterback or pursue one via trade or free agency.

Should the Bengals choose to pick up a quarterback in the first round of this year's draft, the top four prospects will more than likely be Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, Auburn's Cam Newton, Arkansas' Ryan Mallett and Washington's Jake Locker. The Bengals will have a pretty good idea how they feel about Locker; he is on the North squad for the Senior Bowl.

There is no experience on the depth chart behind Carson Palmer. The only other quarterbacks currently on the Bengals roster are Jordan Palmer, Carson's brother, and Dan LeFevour, who the Bengals claimed off waivers after he was released by the Chicago Bears.

The last time the Bengals organization was faced with a similar situation, owner Mike Brown did not give in to Chad Ochocinco's trade demands. In 2008, not only did Brown force Ochocinco- then known as Chad Johnson- to honor his contract, but also turned down a trade for Ochocinco proposed by the Washington Redskins that would have given the Bengals a 2008 first-round pick and a 2009 draft choice.

Ochocinco was quick to remind everyone that things didn't work out quite so well for him when he attempted to force his way out of Cincinnati nearly three years ago. "Carson Palmer demands a trade? Last person demanded a trade in Cincy was crucified by the media n had to win the fans back. how will this go," Ochocinco tweeted Sunday afternoon shortly after news broke that Palmer wants out. 

The Bengals could have a much different look next season, as Palmer, Ochocinco and running back Cedric Benson may not return. Wide receiver Terrell Owens will explore free agency and will not return to the team. In light of news that former Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress had dinner with Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis to discuss "X's and O's," offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski's future is in question as well.

In the coming months, it will be interesting to see what kind of market develops for Palmer's services and what the Bengals will demand in return. However, Palmer cannot be traded until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.