Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown says they have turned down quarterback Carson Palmer's request to be traded.
Pro Bowl quarterback wants to leave struggling Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown says they will not bow to quarterback Carson Palmer's request to be traded away from the team during the off-season.
The Bengals have been one of the worst teams in the NFL over the last few years, with just two winning seasons in the last 20 years, and with just two trips to the play-offs.
Palmer led them into those two play-off runs, in 2005 and 2009, and has been their franchise quarterback since being taken as the number one overall pick at the 2003 draft.
After making the play-offs last season, to finish 4-12 this time around was perhaps their most disappointing season ever, and Palmer has had enough of life as a Bengal and has asked to be traded.
However, Bengals owner Brown has told the 31-year-old that they will not be looking to trade him, as they need to keep him as the cornerstone of their franchise.
Rejected
"He was told that, and that we count on him going forward," said Brown. "He was told that we are not in a position to trade him."
"He's key to our plans," Brown said on the team's website. "He's central to us. He was told that. We count on him going forward. He was told we were in no position to trade him.
"It would not be something we would consider doing - we are not looking for offers."
Palmer has not spoken to the media about his request, but his agent David Dunn released a statement giving Palmer's reasons for wanting to leave Cincinnati.
"Carson met with Bengals owner Mike Brown recently," said Dunn. "They both expressed profound disappointment in how the team fared last season, and in how it has generally performed during Carson's tenure with the team.
"Because of the lack of success that Carson and the Bengals have experienced together, Carson strongly feels that a separation between him and the Bengals would be in the best interest of both parties.
"Carson could not respect the Brown family any more than he does or be more appreciative of what the Browns have done for him and his wife Shaelyn and his family."
Reasons
A lack of success coupled with a lack of trust in coach Marvin Lewis are the major reasons behind Palmer's request, as the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner and one of the most exciting young quarterbacks has failed to have the career many expected.
The two-time Pro Bowler looked brilliant when leading the Bengals to the 2005 play-offs, and even returned from knee and elbow injuries to get them back there in 2009, but there has been no significant improvement in the team.
Wide receiver Terrell Owens will leave as a free agent, while top rusher Cedric Benson is also a free agent and there seems little direction at present, but Bengals owner Brown still believes Palmer could stay on.
"The life of a pro quarterback is not always easy," Brown said. "When you're down, the criticism will flare up. That's the nature of our business. We want him to re-up, be in good spirits, and in time, he'll come around. This was a deeply disappointing season for us, we have all suffered from it. I think we will rebound.
"We'll just have to see how it plays out. We'll reach out to him and understand the things that are in his craw. Maybe there are things we can do that will appeal to him. We'll try to and see whether he can get it to fit back together in the future."
