The last quarterback that failed to start his team’s season opener after being selected No. 1 overall was Carson Palmer all the way back in 2003. That season saw Palmer sit behind Jon Kitna with the Cincinnati Bengals.
It worked out to an extent for Cincinnati, as Palmer would go on to earn Pro Bowl trips in his first two full seasons as the Bengals’ starter.
Fast forward over a decade, and the Los Angeles Rams find themselves in a similar situation. The team has received a ton of flack for starting journeyman Case Keenum over rookie No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff.
Through three games, Los Angeles sits at 2-1 and atop the NFC West despite a less-than-stellar performance from Keenum.
It’s in this that Palmer has seemingly thrown his support behind the Rams’ decision to take it slowly with Goff.
“There’s such a fine line between throwing a guy in there, making him play, and he knows he’s going to go in and struggle because the team’s not good like some guys have been,” the Arizona Cardinals’ starter said Wednesday, via the Los Angeles Times. “The Rams are different. That’s a very good team. They don’t need to throw a rookie in there and him learn on the run and the team suffer.”
That’s a different take than most have on the situation. Even experts who believe the Rams are making the right decision use the perceived lack of talent on the team as the primary reason for sitting Goff. That’s not what Palmer is saying here.
Instead, he seems to be indicating that it’s not fair to the rest of a “very good team” to have a struggling quarterback learn on the fly.
As it is, Palmer and his Cardinals take on the Rams Sunday afternoon already one game back in the division.
If the Rams do indeed come out on top in this one, Palmer’s proclamation of them being a good team might very well ring true.