Carson Palmer announces his retirement from the NFL with heartwarming letter

Carson Palmer has announced his retirement from the NFL. Palmer, who turned 38 in December, shared his decision via the team.

“Over the years, I’ve had teammates who decided to hang it up and I would ask them how they knew when it was time to walk away,” Palmer said in his open letter. “The answer was always the same. You just know.

“For me that time is now. Why? Quite simply, I just know.”

The announcement comes just one day after former head coach Bruce Arians also announced he would step away from the NFL.

Why is Palmer calling it a career? Palmer spent a chunk of the 2017 season on injured reserve after breaking his arm against the Rams in Week 7.

He was drafted by the Bengals with the first overall pick in the 2003 draft. Palmer spent the first eight seasons of his career in Cincinnati. The Bengals finished 2010 with a 4-12 record, and Palmer requested, and was denied, a trade by the team, prompting him to retire for the first time.

The Bengals eventually agreed to trade his rights to the Raiders. After the better part of two seasons in Oakland with middling success, the Raiders traded Palmer to the Cardinals, where he experienced a renaissance.

Palmer had his best season with the Cardinals in 2015. He earned a Pro Bowl nod and was named a second-team All-Pro after finishing fourth in the NFL with 4,631 yards, second with 35 touchdowns, and threw just 11 interceptions. The Cardinals went 13-3 and won the NFC West. They made it all the way to the NFC Championship game, where the Panthers showed them the door with a lopsided 49-15 win.

The Cardinals had aspirations of building on that season’s success in 2016, but they finished 7-8-1 and failed to make the postseason. This season, with Palmer’s injury and key players like David Johnson and D.J. Humphries landing on injured reserve, there wasn’t much hope for Arizona. It finished 8-8.

Where do the Cardinals go from here? They’ve got to address the quarterback situation. Palmer was signed with the team through 2018, and they don’t have any other quarterbacks on the roster for 2018. Drew Stanton and Blaine Gabbert didn’t exactly light the world ablaze filling in for Palmer after his injury, and neither is under contract with the team for 2018 anyway.

The Cardinals can look to the draft. They’re slated to pick 15th overall this year. They’ll have plenty of competition, but they could also throw their hat in the ring for a high-priced free agent like Kirk Cousins.

Whoever does take over for Palmer in Arizona may do so without the man who’s been the heart and soul of that offense for the past 14 seasons. With Arians and Palmer gone, it won’t be a surprise if Larry Fitzgerald also opts to let the sun set on his NFL career.

How did the NFL react to Palmer’s news? Palmer’s teammates and peers weighed in with good wishes for this next phase of his life.

David Johnson will return to the field next year without Palmer and Arians.

Palmer’s former backup had kind words about his experience behind Palmer on the depth chart.

The Cardinals offensive line will be blocking for someone else next season.

Palmer’s NFC West rival sent his best.

Matt Leinart has plenty of history with Palmer, going back to his USC days.

Former Cardinals kicker Jay Feely had kind words about Palmer.

Members of the media shared their appreciation for Palmer, including Sunday Night Football’s Michele Tafoya.

ESPN’s Trey Wingo echoed that praise.

Even Senator John McCain had a kind message for Palmer.

Palmer considered retirement before last season. Facing the reality of having to start over in a new system with a new head coach may have helped pave the way for this decision.