NFL Trade Speculation: 5 Reasons Why Carson Palmer Is the Next Jake Delhomme

Bengals owner Mike Brown doesn't want to let Carson Palmer leave the Bengals, but he should change his mind.

Jake Delhomme recently left the Carolina Panthers and faded into irrelevancy with the Cleveland Browns.

There are similarities between Palmer and Delhomme that may indicate that Palmer is the next Jake Delhomme.

Here are a few reasons why.

Interceptions

Marc Serota/Getty Images

MIAMI - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Jake Delhomme #17 of the Cleveland Browns passes against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Granted, in his final season in Carolina, Delhomme threw only eight touchdowns compared to his 18 interceptions, and Carson Palmer was more productive.

Past that, however, these two quarterbacks threw interceptions in bunches on their way out for their respective teams.

Palmer suffered from poor decision making and couldn't keep the ball in his team's hands, while Delhomme's declining accuracy crippled him.

Both quarterbacks threw alarming totals of interceptions, and a parallel can be drawn between the turnovers themselves.

Both Had a Recent Year in Which They Missed a Bunch of Games

Doug Benc/Getty Images

ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 23: Quarterback Jake Delhomme #17 of the Carolina Panthers reacts after injuring his right arm against the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome September 23, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 27-20. (Photo by Dou

In 2008, Carson Palmer played a whopping four games, posting three touchdowns as opposed to four interceptions.

Palmer missed time with an elbow injury, showing that he has an injury history, and as recent as 2008, the quarterback couldn't stay on the field.

Delhomme, in comparison, missed almost all of 2007 with, oddly enough, an elbow injury.

The Brown and Bengal quarterbacks have similar injury histories, and are similar in many other ways.

Former Success

Nick Laham/Getty Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 29: Jake Delhomme #17 of the Carolina Panthers passes against the New York Jets at Giants Stadium on November 29, 2009 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Both of these quarterbacks were pretty successful at one point, too.

Delhomme was an above-average starter for a number of years, having posted 70 touchdowns to 42 interceptions from 2004-2006.

Palmer was even better from 2005-2007, boasting 86 touchdowns to 46 interceptions over the three year span.

Delhomme went from a top 10 quarterback to an afterthought, and Palmer is well on his way to such.

Both Blew Up in the Playoffs

Larry French/Getty Images

BALTIMORE, MD - JANUARY 2: Carson Palmer #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals passes against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens lead the Bengals 6-0 at the half. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

Jake Delhomme had an awful showing in the playoffs, when he threw five interceptions against the Arizona Cardinals, proving that he was no longer capable of leading the Panthers.

Palmer had a lower-scale blowup, but still finished 18 for 36 without many yards, showing that he was incapable of leading the team deep into the playoffs.

Delhomme's playoff blow-up marked the beginning of the end for him, and Palmer's blow-up was just a preview to the Bengals 4-12 season that followed.

Both Are Over 30

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 12: Jake Delhomme #17 of the Cleveland Browns readies to pass against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 12, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo won 13-6. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Recent history is not typically on the side of over-30 athletes, and in Jake Delhomme's case, it certainly wasn't.

Delhomme faded out of everyone's mind by midseason, and Carson Palmer may be that guy next year.

Palmer is over 30 and isn't getting any younger, and we don't know just how much more he has left in the tank.

Cleveland assumed that Delhomme had some competitiveness left in him, and they were certainly wrong.