Carson Palmer hints Joe Burrow could leave Bengals sooner than expected

Carson Palmer believes if the Cincinnati Bengals do not change their frugal ways, it could cost them Joe Burrow like it cost them him back in the day.

Carson Palmer continued to drag the Cincinnati Bengals at radio row ahead of Super Bowl 56 in Los Angeles, this time unjustly putting Joe Burrow in an incredibly awkward spot.

Like Burrow, Palmer was a former No. 1 overall pick by Cincinnati and a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in his final collegiate season. Though his Bengals tenure ended rather acrimoniously, Palmer did achieve success in the latter part of his career with the Arizona Cardinals. While he may have his issues with the Brown family for being notably cheap, here is what he said about Burrow.

“I think Joe is going to sit back after this game, win or lose, and be like, ‘Man, am I going to re-sign with this team? Are they willing to do what it takes to continuously build to get back to the next Super Bowl? Next year and the year after that, and the year after that.'”

Carson Palmer says Joe Burrow could leave Bengals sooner than expected

Is there some truth to what Palmer said? Yes, the Bengals have been the epitome of cheap throughout Mike Brown’s ownership of the team. They are the only northern team without an indoor practice facility. They do not have a general manager, have naming rights on their stadium or make trades when it comes to the NFL Draft. The operation can sadly feel very 1970s at times.

However, Palmer is well on his way towards being the fifth best quarterback in franchise history. In year two out of LSU, Burrow led the Bengals to the Super Bowl. Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason won NFL MVPs during their respective Super Bowl runs. While Andy Dalton never won a playoff game, he led the Bengals to five straight postseason trips during his first five NFL seasons.

Ultimately, Burrow’s success with the Bengals further erases Palmer’s legacy. Not only did he win a Heisman Trophy, but he won a national championship at LSU, something Palmer never accomplished at USC. If the Bengals beat the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Burrow will have done something most NFL fans thought would be impossible: Win a Super Bowl leading the Bengals.

While old habits die hard, the Bengals organization has to understand yesterday it struck gold by being so bad enough in 2019 to draft Burrow. He is an undeniable franchise-altering player. If the Bengals are committed to do this right, they can go on a dynastic run for the next 10 years. Should they botch this like they did with Palmer, they will go back to being the same ole, sorry Bengals.

Win or lose, Burrow must hold ownership accountable to make sure successes can be replicated.