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Things are way ahead of schedule for Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals had not won a playoff game in 31 years, but Burrow has changed their fortunes seemingly overnight by reaching the Super Bowl in just his second season.
But Burrow might not have long-term plans to stay in Cincinnati, according to another former Bengals No. 1 pick.
Carson Palmer, a quarterback whom the Bengals drafted with the first pick in the 2003 NFL draft, questioned whether Burrow would want to stay with the Bengals.
“I think Joe’s gonna sit back after this game, win or lose, and be like, ‘Man, am I gonna re-sign with this team?'” Palmer said during a February 11 interview with Michael Smith and Michael Holley, of NBCU’s “Brother From Another” podcast.
Palmer, a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback with the Bengals, forced his way out of Cincinnati in 2011 after holding out during the first six weeks of the season. He was traded to the Oakland Raiders on October 18, 2011, and hasn’t maintained a good relationship with the franchise that drafted him.
“Joe’s not thinking about this one Super Bowl,” said Palmer, 42, who retired from the NFL after the 2017 season. “Joe is thinking about getting seven.”
Burrow, 25, finished with 263 yards passing and a touchdown in the Bengals’ 23-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl on February 13.
“Are [the Bengals] willing to do what it takes to continuously build to get back to the next Super Bowl next year?” Palmer asked Smith and Holley. “And the year after that and the year after that? How are they willing to structure salary cap-wise, to be able to afford [Burrow] but also … Ja’Marr Chase when he comes up, or Tee Higgins, or maybe even redo this offensive line that’s given up a league-leading 54 sacks this year.”
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Twitter Reacts to Palmer’s Statements
It’s seems clear that Palmer still holds ill will toward the Bengals. As recently as 2019, Palmer questioned the Bengals’ commitment to winning, as he did back in 2011, when he said he would “never set foot in Paul Brown Stadium again,” via Bleacher Report.
Many Twitter users reacted to Palmer’s comments about Burrow, some of them taking swipes at Palmer’s seven-year run in Cincinnati.
Burrow Not Likely to Go Anywhere Soon
It’s too early to suggest that Burrow is going to want out of Cincinnati given that he is under contract for two more years, with the Bengals having the option to pick up the fifth year of his rookie contract before the start of his fourth year in the league, which will be the 2023 season.
Burrow attended high school in The Plains, Ohio, about two and a half hours from Cincinnati. He also attended The Ohio State University from 2015 to 2017. Now, with a trip to the Super Bowl in only his second season, he’s already cemented his popularity in Ohio.
Anything seems possible regarding Burrow. In 2003, Palmer was drafted to be the quarterback who would turn around the Bengals’ fortunes. That didn’t happen, and the team kept losing. If the Bengals go back to their losing ways, perhaps Burrow would want a change after his rookie contract runs out. It doesn’t seem that will be an issue for a long time, though.
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