COME TO PASS
Palmer opts to return for a 15th season, one of the NFC West quarterbacks who could use a fresh start
By season’s end, Carson Palmer could be in the top 10 in NFL history in an array of passing categories, among them yardage, touchdowns, completions and attempts.
Yet, the Arizona Cardinals quarterback has won only one postseason game in his career.
That factored into Palmer’s decision to return for a 15th season after flirting this offseason with the notion of calling it a career. But he hasn’t decided whether he will play beyond this season.
“I love every facet of it,” said Palmer, 37, according to the Cardinals website. “I don’t want to stop. But I’ll have to wait and make that decision after the season.”
The Cardinals are hoping they get the Palmer of 2015, not the one of 2016. Two years ago, he was a legitimate most-valuableplayer candidate, throwing 35 touchdowns with 11 interceptions as Arizona finished 13-3 and made it all the way to the NFC championship game.
But last season, Palmer and the team took a big step backward. He had 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and the team was 7-8-1 and did not reach the playoffs.
Basically, all the quarterbacks in the NFC West could use a fresh start.
Seattle’s Russell Wilson is coming off an injury-hampered year in which he threw 21 touchdowns and a career-high 11 interceptions. His passer rating also was the lowest of his career: 92.6. The Seahawks won the division at 10-5-1, aided by the fact that the other three NFC West teams were lousy.
In an offseason television interview, Wilson said he has changed his diet, is eating nine times a day and has eliminated dairy (except on rare occasions) and gluten. He consumes 4,800 calories per day, up from 2,700 a year ago, and has had his weight drop from 225 pounds and 16% body fat to 214 and 10%.
“He looks pretty slim,” coach Pete Carroll said. “He’s excited about it too. This is the lightest he has reported by quite a bit. He is in fantastic shape. He has really had a hardworking, diligent offseason. You can see it.”
While Wilson has trimmed down, Rams quarterback Jared Goff has worked on bulking up. It’s coming slowly. He’s up to 220 pounds after weighing 215 as a rookie.
“Did my best in the months we had off to continue to train hard and my body continues to grow,” Goff said. “I understand I’m still young and there still is going to be some growing. I’ve said this for a while now, I’ve gained about 10 pounds every year of my life.”
What Goff is really looking to do is add heft to his NFL body of work. This is his team now, and he has capable targets in former Buffalo receivers Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods.
The Rams offensive line should be somewhat better, improving the likelihood Todd Gurley can get some traction in the running game. There’s also hope that new coach Sean McVay will know what he’s doing offensively and breathe some life into a team that showed no pulse on that side of the ball last season.
San Francisco didn’t take a quarterback in the draft and instead has a placeholder in Brian Hoyer, who knows coach Kyle Shanahan’s system from their days in Cleveland.
Hoyer might be a stopgap, but sometimes that works.
“Well, so was I,” former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia said in a radio interview. “It’s all about opportunities in the NFL and taking advantage of those opportunities. … This is his opportunity to … take the bull by the horns.”
The unheralded Garcia, who took over as starter when Steve Young retired, wound up going to three consecutive Pro Bowls.