Carson Palmer: What Will Carson Palmers Legacy as a Cincinnati Bengal Be?

With Pro Football Talk reporting that Carson Palmer has officially been traded to the Oakland Raiders for a for a first-round pick in 2012 and a conditional first-round pick in 2013, it's worth taking a look at how he will be remembered by the team and the fans that he abandoned.

As 2010 drew to a close, many Bengals fans, myself included, aligned themselves with Palmer, commending his progress and enthusiasm when playing with Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson, revitalizing his game and giving the Bengals community a real sense of excitement for how 2011 could be different.

But that's when it all changed. When Palmer signaled his intent to retire if not traded in early January, Bengals fans first sympathized with him, but in the ensuing months Palmer brought about his own downfall with a number of questionable and unprofessional actions, despite the front office making significant changes.

These changes included parting with long-time offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski, parting ways with the T.Ocho Show and promoting promising rookies to starting positions. Yet it all proved to be too little too late for Palmer, who had clearly made up his mind.

So now that it's all said and done, how will Palmer be remembered? I have to admit, despite his childish actions this offseason, I still feel for Palmer. He had real talent—whether you believe it's still present is irrelevant—and I can't help but think that Palmer really tried to make the best of a bad situation during his time as a Bengal.

Palmer's struggles in Cincinnati, whether combating poor business/personnel decisions, distractions, divas, convicts, etc..., have served a purpose, but unfortunately Palmer won't benefit from them. His tenure as Bengals QB and the conclusion to his time in stripes is a constant reminder to Mike Brown that almost everything he did during Palmer's time here was completely wrong and in opposition to the club's best interests.

The Bengals have moved on and seem to have learned lessons from the cautionary tale that is Carson Palmer, which will prove to be to Andy Dalton's gain in the coming years. Brown has relinquished his tight grip on the team, and that has proved to be incredibly beneficial in 2011 thus far.

Over his eight seasons in Cincinnati, Palmer was 46-51 as a starter. He took the team to the playoffs in 2005 and 2009 but struggled to do much more. His latter years were marred by injuries and questions about his recovery from them, but Palmer proved that he still has game, leading the Bengals to a division sweep and an AFC North title in 2009, taking his popularity back to an all-time high.

While only time will tell whether Bengals fans will forgive Palmer for this year, the feeling very much seems to be that he walked out on the team, and despite Andy Dalton's early success, the wound still hurts.

Palmer's departure seems to be the final page in a chapter of Bengals history that will prove largely forgettable. With the Bengals often in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, Palmer was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So regardless of my frustration with how things ended for Carson and the Bengals, I wish him all the best in Oakland. The Bengals' changes on offense have provided the team with a new mentality and hunger that Palmer could only have stagnated, and after watching our Bengals play under Andy Dalton, I'm thankful that we've moved on.

While Palmer may have forever tainted his reputation in Cincinnati, I will choose to remember the QB for the small moments of joy such as the upsets and more importantly, for the victories over Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Thanks, Carson, all the best.