Despite many people saying the Arizona Cardinals should start Josh Rosen over Sam Bradford, former Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer thinks they should wait on it.
Things got off to a rough start for Sam Bradford and the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 of the NFL. Bradford threw for 153 yards, one interception and fumbled the ball, resulting in a 24-6 loss against the Washington Redskins. It’s his first season with the team, and while many fans and media folk alike are already urging the Cardinals to start their first-round draft pick Josh Rosen, Carson Palmer disagrees.
“I think Sam [Bradford] is the guy until something bad happens injury-wise or they’re far enough out of it that you have to play a young guy,” Palmer said. “Sam just needs to continue to work and continue to play and he’ll get better, but it’s not time to give it to the young guy.”
Palmer, who will be the spokesperson for FedEx’s Air and Ground awards this season, has a point. It’s definitely not time to panic after Week 1. After all, a lot of teams around the league showed some rust, and the Cardinals are not only working with a new quarterback, but an entirely new coaching staff after Bruce Arians retired last season.
Rosen, considered a steal as the No. 10 draft pick in last year’s NFL Draft, may not be fully ready to accept the responsibility that comes with being a full-time starting quarterback in the league. Drawing on his own experiences, Palmer knows how important it is to wait until it’s your time.
“In my situation I wasn’t ready to be as effective as John Kitna was at the time, I was just coming in and trying to figure out what was what,” Palmer said. “I don’t think owners and GM’s understand the importance of [having a veteran quarterback mentor a young quarterback]. Having a guy who has done it before is vital.”
As far as other rookie quarterbacks around the league, Palmer was surprised that Sam Darnold got the start in Week 1 over Josh McCown, despite being the most “can’t miss prospect” in the draft. Palmer wasn’t shy about his praise for his fellow USC alumni, going so far as to say that Darnold can be the guy that wins you a Super Bowl.
Although Darnold got off to a rough start after throwing a pick-six on his first pass in the NFL, Darnold bounced back and put together an impressive performance for the New York Jets, showing why he was worthy of being draft third overall in the NFL Draft.
“He just didn’t flinch, it didn’t look too big for him, he didn’t look nervous,” Palmer said. “I know he wanted that first pass back, but he came right back out and was firing. He’s good enough to make the guys around him better, and the team better.”