Carson Palmer: Will Mike Brown, Bengals Swallow Pride After Andy Dalton Injury?

When Andy Dalton was selected in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft, everyone was sure he was the insurance policy in case Carson Palmer was serious about his holdout.

Dalton showed some nice flashes of potential in the preseason, but in his NFL debut in Cleveland, he hurt his wrist and will likely miss a few weeks.

Though the Bengals turned to Bruce Gradkowski for the rest of the Cleveland game, will they go back to Carson Palmer and try to get him to either play or trade him for some pieces for their team?

The only problem for both sides is Mike Brown. Mike Brown won't give into Carson Palmer's demand to be traded. Now, if Brown went back as a humble man who was wrong, would Palmer forgive him? Maybe, maybe not. However, if he tried, and it failed, he could still trade Palmer and get use for him from teams that may be desperate for a good QB right now (Colts, Dolphins, 49ers, Titans, Jags).

Some teams may give up draft picks, some may give up really good players who could plug into the Bengals offense or defense and help them win this year, or speed up their rebuilding period. It's a big win-win for both sides either way.

However, the whole equation rests on the Cincinnati Bengals, specifically Mike Brown, to swallow their pride and go to Carson and realize they were wrong from the start. If they can't realize this when their starting QB goes down with an injury, they'll never realize it, and they'll continue to be the butt of jokes about NFL franchises.

So what's the answer Mike Brown? Do you want to show that you can admit you were wrong and want to make a successful franchise, or are you fine with people making fun of you and your franchise? That's your choice.