It took basically a sixth-round pick for the Cardinals to trade for Carson Palmer back in 2013, and the hype around the move about equaled the price.
But the veteran quarterback had a rebirth in Arizona – peaking with an MVP-quality season in 2015 when he led the Cards to the NFC Championship game – and led to Tuesday's announcement that Palmer would be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor this season.
The ceremony will take place at State Farm Stadium Sept. 29 when the Cardinals host the Seahawks.
Palmer will be the 18th person inducted into the Ring of Honor, and the first since quarterback Jim Hart in 2017. He becomes the fifth person inducted to have his entire Cardinals' career play out in Arizona, joining safety Pat Tillman, cornerback Aeneas Williams, quarterback Kurt Warner and safety Adrian Wilson.
The other 12 honored have been owner Charles Bidwill, coach Jimmy Conzelman, halfback Paddy Driscoll, halfback Marshall Goldberg, cornerback Night Train Lane, running back Ollie Matson, RB/coach Ernie Nevers, running back Charlie Trippi, safety Larry Wilson, cornerback Roger Wehrli, tackle Dan Dierdorf, and wide receiver Roy Green.
Palmer ended up with 38 wins as a Cardinals' starter, third in franchise history, even though his 2014 season (ACL) and 2017 season (broken arm) were truncated by injury. He is fourth in passing yards, fourth in touchdown passes and second in passer rating in franchise history, doing all that in just 60 games.
In 2015, Palmer threw for a career-high 4,671 yards, 35 touchdowns and a 104.6 passer rating – all franchise single-season records -- as the Cardinals went 13-3. He left his mark on the franchise in his five seasons and it did the same to him.
"My family and I are beyond grateful for everything this game has given us as well as the love and support we've felt from fans everywhere we've been," Palmer wrote in the open letter he used to announce his retirement. "That's been especially true in Arizona, where we never expected to end up but has become such a special place for us. Starting with Michael Bidwill and continuing through the organization, the Cardinals are first-class and do things the right way from top to bottom."
