NFL TOP Player -- Carson Palmer

Born: December 27, 1979 (age 34), Fresno, California, United States
Spouse: Shaelyn Palmer (m. 2003)
Current team: Arizona Cardinals (#3 / Quarterback)
Salary: 2 million USD (2013)
Siblings: Jordan Palmer, Jennifer Santos, Robert Palmer
Education: Santa Margarita Catholic High School, University of Southern California

By the time he was in seventh grade, Palmer had remarkable size and arm strength for his age. His father, Bill Palmer, enrolled him in private classes in Orange County taught by quarterback guru Bob Johnson.

Palmer was scheduled to enroll in Santa Margarita Catholic High School as a freshman. Initially, the plan was to move the family to the East Coast but after careful consideration, Bill Palmer(father) realized that the level of competition in California was best for Palmer. Palmer enrolled at Santa Margarita and Bill Palmer commuted home on weekends via airplane. After a successful stint as a starter his junior year, Palmer started to field offers from USC, Notre Dame, Colorado, Miami and reportedly San Diego State. He followed up a stellar junior season with a remarkable senior season, cementing himself as one of the most touted players ever to come out of Santa Margarita High School. In his senior season, he led Orange County with a 203.9 quarterback rating. He was named to the first-team all-league and All-CIF despite suffering a stress fracture in his right foot.

Biography

NoteCARDS:

Acquired by the Cardinals on 4/2/13 in a trade with the Oakland Raiders that involved swapping 2013 draft picks (a sixth round pick to Oakland in exchange for its seventh round pick) and a conditional pick in 2014. Following the trade, Palmer agreed to a three-year contract with the Cardinals.
For his career, Palmer has started 121 of the 122 games he has appeared in, completing 2,568 of 4,110 pass attempts (62.5%) for 29,465 yards, 189 TDs, 130 INTs and a passer rating of 86.2.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection (2005-06), Palmer was named the game’s MVP in 2006.
Led the NFL in completion percentage (67.8) and TD passes (32) in 2005.
Has thrown for over 4,000 yards in a season three times (2006-07, ’12) and thrown for 20+ TDs six times (2005-07, 09-10, ’12). Has thrown for 300+ yards in a game 27 times, including five career outings with 400+ passing yards.
Has been the architect of 20 career game-winning drives, including 13 fourth quarter comebacks.
Among active QBs, enters the 2013 season ranked 6th in career pass attempts (4,110) and completions (2,568) while ranking 7th in both career passing yards (29,465) and TD passes (189).
In 15 games with the Raiders in 2012, threw for 4,018 yards and became just the second player in team history to top 4,000 yards in a season, joining Rich Gannon who had 4,689 in his NFL MVP season of 2002.
Threw 22 TD passes in 2012, marking his sixth season with at least 20 TD passes. His 85.3 passer rating in ’12 represented the fourth-best mark of his career and highest since 2007.
In Weeks 9-11 of the ’12 campaign, threw for 300+ yards in three straight games for the first time in his career and had a career-best six 300-yard performances in all in 2012.
Dating back to the 2004 season, Palmer’s first year as a starter, only Tony Romo (29) and Tom Brady (23) have more passing TDs of 50+ yards than Palmer’s 22, which ties both Peyton and Eli Manning.
Twice named AFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 7-2009 and Week 13-2004) and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September in 2005.
The 2002 Heisman Trophy Winner at USC, Palmer was selected by Cincinnati with the first overall selection in the 2003 NFL Draft. After eight seasons with the Bengals, left Cincinnati ranked 3rd in franchise history in career pass attempts (3,217), 2nd in completions (2,024), 1st in completion percentage (62.9%), 3rd in passing yards (22,694) and 3rd in TD passes (154).

Pro Career:

Selected by Cincinnati in the first round (first overall) of 2003 NFL Draft. Re-signed with the Bengals on 12/29/05. Placed on the reserve/did not report list by Cincinnati on 7/29/11 before being traded to Oakland on 10/18/11 for the Raiders first-round selection in 2012 and the Raiders second round choice in 2013. Reinstated from reserve/did not report on 10/19/11 and signed a new contract with the Raiders the same day. Traded to the Cardinals on 4/2/13 and signed a new contract with the team.

2012: Started the season’s first 15 games before a rib/lung injury ended his second and final season in Oakland  … voted a 2012 captain by his teammates … completed 345 of 565 pass attempts (61.1%) for 4,018 yards, 22 TDs, 14 INTs and a passer rating of 85.3 … also passed for a pair of two‐point conversions and ran for 36 yards on 18 carries with one TD … his 4,018 passing yards represent the second-highest total in franchise history behind NFL MVP Rich Gannon (4,689) in 2002 … reached 3,000 yards for the sixth time in his career, and reached it in his 10th game, faster than any previous season (needed 11 games to reach 3,000 in 2007, and 12 contests to get there in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010) … threw for at least 300 yards in a career high six games, stringing together three straight 300‐yard passing games for the first time in his career (Weeks 9-11) … on third down, posted an 87.3 passer rating, which ranked 10th in the NFL … in the season opener vs. SD (9/10), led the Raiders on three drives of 10‐or‐more plays, including a fourth‐quarter march that ended with a 2‐yard TD pass to Rod Streater and an ensuing two‐point throw to the same target to bring Oakland within one score; completed 32 of his 46 attempts and surpassed 3,000 yards as a Raider … threw for 373 yards while completing passes to nine different receivers @ Mia (9/16); passing total included a 64-yard TD strike to Mike Goodson to tie the game in the first quarter; had opened the year without an interception over his first 93 attempts until throwing an INT on his last pass of the game … in a 34-31 victory vs. Pit (9/23), led Oakland back as they overcame a 10‐point, final‐period deficit, his 12th career fourth‐quarter comeback win, and second with the Raiders; threw three TD passes for the game and engineered three scoring drives in the fourth quarter; connected on each of his last four passes, for 49 yards, in the final minute to position Sebastian Janikowski for a walk‐off, 43‐yard FG … led the Raiders back from a 20‐6 second‐half deficit vs. Jax (10/21), engineering a game‐saving drive late in regulation of the 26‐23 OT victory; on the drive, a 10‐play, 58‐yard march, connected with Rod Streater for 18 yards to convert a 3rd-n-6, then finished the series with a one‐yard TD sneak to tie the game with 3:34 remaining in regulation; broke Rich Gannon’s franchise record (11) by throwing for at least 200 yards in a 12th consecutive game … completed 14 of 28 pass attempts for 209 yards and two TDs @ KC (10/28), completing two key passes in the first half to give the Raiders a lead they would not relinquish; late in first half, completed a 29‐yard 3rd-n-long pass to Brandon Myers and then connected with Denarius Moore for the go‐ahead TD … rallied Raiders back from a 35‐17 deficit in final 13 minutes, engineering three TD drives to put Oakland a FG away from OT vs. TB (11/4); established career highs in attempts (61) and completions (39) – each the second most in Raiders history – and became just the third player in team annals to throw for more than 400 yards (414) and at least four TD passes, and the first to do so since Cotton Davidson (Oct. 25, 1964, vs. Denver); threw for at least four TDs for the sixth time in his career … threw TD passes to cap off 81 and 93-yard scoring drives vs. NO (11/18), while recording 312 passing yards for the game; 312 passing yards gave him 300+ yards in three consecutive games for the first time in his career; reached 3,000 passing yards in his 10th game, faster than he has reached the milestone in any season … recorded his seventh 300‐yard passing game of the season, which included a 64-yard TD strike to Rod Streater in the third quarter vs. Cle (12/2); also guided Oakland on a 15‐play, 94‐yard TD drive with no timeouts late in a 20‐17 loss … engineered perhaps the most impressive offensive drive of the season late in the first half vs. Den (12/6), a 14‐play, 80‐yard march on which he was 9‐of‐11, including a six-yard TD pass to RB Darren McFadden; also had a 56-yard TD strike to Heyward-Bey and a 58-yard connection with Rod Streater … after awaking with flu‐like symptoms, managed a solid game completing 18 of 29 pass attempts for 182 yards in the 15‐0 win vs. KC (12/16) … on a first-series trick play @ Car (12/23), caught a lateral from QB Terrelle Pryor, then passed back to Pryor on a 22‐yard gain, giving Palmer 4,000 passing yards on the season; late in the first quarter was forced from the game after an illegal hit that resulted in cracked ribs and a bruised lung … inactive (rib/lung) for the season finale @ SD (12/30).

2011: During his first season in Oakland, nearly led the Raiders to the playoffs despite arriving at team headquarters on 10/19 … DNP for Bengals before joining Raiders prior to the Week 7 contest, 10 days after passing of owner Al Davis and two days after starter Jason Campbell sustained a season-ending broken collarbone … played in 10 games (9 starts) and completed 199 of 328 pass attempts for 2,753 yards and 13 TDs … averaged a career-high 8.4 yards per attempt … tied for fifth in the NFL with 11 completions of 40 or more yards … made his Raiders debut just five days after his arrival, replacing Kyle Boller beginning with the second series of the second half, with Oakland trailing 21-0 vs. KC (10/23) … while still learning the Raiders offense, made his first Oakland start and threw for 332 yards and three TDs vs. Den (11/6), including a 40-yard pass to FB Marcel Reece in the second quarter … played in his 100th career game and registered first Oakland win on Thursday Night @ SD (11/10); threw for 299 yards and two TDs, connecting with WR Denarius Moore on TD passes of 33 and 26 yards to give Oakland an insurmountable 24-10 lead early in second half … made 100th career start and guided Raiders to a 27-21 win @ Min (11/20); threw an 11-yard TD strike to WR Chaz Schilens in the second quarter and scored his sixth career rushing TD on a 1-yard dive to give the Raiders a 24-7 halftime lead … guided Oakland to its third straight victory after completing 21 of 37 passes for 301 yards, including a 47-yard strike to Reece that set up a go-ahead FG in second quarter of a 25-20 win … completed 32-of-40 attempts for a season-high 367 yards vs. Det (12/18); his lone TD pass of the day was a 43-yard strike to Heyward-Bey in the second quarter … connected with Moore for a 61-yard TD in the third quarter @ KC (12/24), then completed a 53-yard pass to Heyward-Bey on the first play of OT to set up Sebastian Janikowski’s game-ending field goal ... in the season finale vs. SD (1/1/12), threw for 417 yards, the third-highest passing total in franchise history; tied a career-long with a 78-yard completion to Moore and connected with Heyward-Bey nine times, including a three-yard TD; also hit TE Kevin Boss for a 22-yard TD in the fourth quarter.

2010: In his eighth and final season with Cincinnati, started all 16 games for the second straight season and the fifth time in his career … established a new franchise record with 586 pass attempts, while ranking second in team history in completions (362), and third in passing yards (3,970), in addition to his 26 TD passes and 82.4 passer rating … posted a completion percentage of 60+ in 10 games, including four games with a completion percentage of 70+ … in the season opener @ NE (9/12), completed 34 of 50 pass attempts (68.0%) for 345 yards, two TDs, an INT and a passer rating of 92.5; marked the fifth time in his career he has completed at least 30 passes in a game and first time since Week 12 of the 2007 season vs. Tennessee (32) … sealed the Bengals 20-7 victory @ Car (9/26) with a seven-yard TD pass to RB Cedric Benson in the fourth quarter … posted a milestone outing @ Cle (10/3), throwing for 371 yards and two TDs, including a career-long 78-yard TD pass to WR Terrell Owens in the second quarter; marked his seventh career completion of 70+ yards and fifth career TD pass of 70+ yards; posted a passer rating of 121.4 … a week after connecting with Owens on a career-long 78-yard TD strike, hit Owens for a 43-yard TD in the first quarter vs. TB (10/10), while also throwing a one-yard TD pass to Jeramine Gresham in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 21 … in a heartbreaking loss, helped Cincinnati overcome a 24-3 halftime deficit with three second-half TD passes @ Atl (10/24); threw a 19-yard TD pass to Owens, a 64-yarder to Jordan Shipley and an eight-yarder to Chad Johnson; totaled 412 yards for the game, the second-highest single-game total of his career; completed 36 of 52 pass attempts on the day, his sixth career game with at least 30 completions and second of the season … over the next two games: vs. Mia (10/31) and vs. Pit (11/8), threw four TD passes to Owens (7, 37, 19 and 27 yards) … completed 31 of 42 pass attempts to post a 73.8 completion percentage @ Ind (11/14); also threw for 292 yards and two TDs, marking his sixth consecutive game with multiple TD passes … threw for two TD passes vs. Buf (11/21), marking his seventh consecutive game with multiple TD passes, the longest streak of his career … led Cincinnati in overcoming a 20-6 third-quarter deficit vs. NO (11/25), throwing a two-point conversion to Gresham that tied the contest at 27, before engineering a five-play go-ahead FG drive in fourth quarter … posted a career-best passer rating of 157.2 vs. SD (12/26) in pacing the Bengals to a second straight win; completed 16 of 21 attempts (76.2) for 269 yards and four TDs, including a 59-yard dagger to WR Jerome Simpson that gave the Bengals a 27-13 fourth-quarter advantage; his 76.2 completion percentage was a season-high … posted his fourth 300-yard outing of the season after completing 32 of 45 attempts for 305 yards @ Bal (1/2/11).

2009: Started all 16 games after missing most of the 2008 season due to an elbow injury … led the Bengals to their first-ever sweep of divisional opponents and the AFC North title … completed 282 of 466 pass attempts for 3,094 yards, 21 TDs, 13 INTs and an 83.6 passer rating … led three fourth quarter comeback wins on the season, giving him 10 for his career … added a career high 93 rushing yards and three TDs, with his three rushing TDs surpassing his total from his previous six seasons combined (2) … named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his Week 7 performance against Chicago … in the season opener vs. Den (9/13), engineered a 91-yard TD drive late in fourth quarter for a 7-6 lead, only to see Denver steal the win on an 87-yard deflected TD pass with 11 seconds left … threw for three TDs and scored his third career rushing TD in a 31-24 win @ GB (9/20); one-yard TD run in the second quarter was his first rushing TD since 10/23/05 vs. Pittsburgh and tied the game at 14 … led TD drives of 85 and 71 yards in the fourth quarter as the Bengals rallied from a 20-9 deficit for a 23-20 win vs. Pit (9/27); with Cincinnati down 20-15 late in the fourth quarter, led the Bengals on a 16-play, 71-yard drive that was capped with a four-yard TD pass to WR Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds remaining in regulation; gave Bengals a 23-20 lead by completing two-point conversion on pass to RB Brian Leonard … led his second fourth quarter comeback in as many weeks during a 23-20 OT victory @ Cle (10/4); trailing 20-14, led a 10-play, 70-yard drive that was capped with a two-yard TD pass to Johnson with under two minutes remaining; after the Bengals ensuing potential game-winning PAT was blocked, directed a 13-play, 67-yard game-winning drive in OT that ended on a 31-yard FG … for the third consecutive week, brought the Bengals back from a fourth quarter deficit for a win @ Bal (10/11); trailing 14-10 late in the fourth quarter, engineered an 11-play, 80-yard drive that was capped with a  20-yard TD pass to Caldwell with just 27 seconds remaining in regulation … earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after posting a 146.7 passer rating in a 45-10 win vs. Chi (10/25); completed 20 of 24 attempts (83.3%) for 233 yards, five TDs and no INTs; five TD passes represented the second-highest total of his career and his plus-5 TD/INT margin tied the franchise single-game record (Boomer Esiason vs. Tampa Bay in 1989) … helped Bengals gain a commanding division lead by directing an 18-12 win that included no turnovers and a comeback from a 9-6 halftime deficit @ Pit (11/15) … secured the Bengals first-ever season sweep of division foes by leading a 16-7 win vs. Cle (11/29); posted eventual game-winning points when he threw a TD pass to TE J.P. Foschi on a 3rd-n-goal play … led a Bengals offense that piled up a time of possession over 38:00 for the third consecutive game vs. Det (12/6), holding the ball for 38:48; threw for 220 yards on the day, including a 36-yard TD pass to C. Johnson in the second quarter … after throwing a fourth-quarter TD to Laveranues Coles, brought the Bengals to within a field goal by running for his first career two-point conversion @ SD (12/20); also made a diving recovery of an Andre Caldwell fumble in the fourth quarter that preserved a FG drive that tied the game at 24 … in a 17-10 division-clinching win vs. KC (12/27), led a 14-play, 98-yard drive late in the fourth quarter that broke a 10-10 tie; drive resulted in a six-yard TD pass to Johnson with just over two minutes remaining in regulation … completed 18 of 26 pass attempts for 146 yards, a TD and an INT in the AFC Wild Card loss vs. NYJ (1/9/10); TD pass came on an 11-yard strike to Laveraneus Coles.

2008: Started all four games he appeared in before an elbow injury suffered in Week 3 ended a string of 51 consecutive starts … after returning to the starting lineup in Week 5, missed the final 11 games as the inactive (3rd QB) due to the injury … completed 75 of 129 pass attempts with three TDs and four INTs … injured his throwing elbow but played entire game, completing 27-of-39 passes for 286 yards and one TD @ NYG (9/21); also rushed for a career-high 23 yards on three attempts … sat out the following week vs. Cle (9/28), snapping a streak of 51 consecutive starts … returned to the starting lineup @ Dal (10/5) and completed 23 of 39 attempts for 217 yards, two TDs and an INT … missed the final 11 games due to the injured elbow.

2007: The only QB in the NFL to take every snap for his team, Palmer started all 16 games for the third straight season and broke two of his own club records with 373 completions and 4,131 passing yards, compiling a 64.9 completion percentage (575 attempts) with 26 TDs … selected by his teammates to serve as a team captain for the first time in his career … became the fifth fastest QB in NFL history to reach 100 career TD passes … led two fourth quarter comeback wins on the season, giving him seven fourth quarter comebacks for his career … established a franchise single-game record with six TD passes in Week 2 @ Cleveland, tying the NFL single-game high in 2007 … in the season opening win on Monday Night vs. Bal (9/10), threw for 194 yards and two TDs while compiling a 100.3 passer rating; trailing 20-19 in the fourth quarter, hit Houshmandzadeh for a seven-yard game-winning TD … established a franchise single-game record with six TD passes @ Cle (9/16) while adding 401 passing yards, the highest total in the AFC on the season; six TD passes tied Tom Brady (10/21 vs. Miami) for the most by a QB in a game in ’07; at the time, Palmer was the first QB to throw six TD passes in a game since Peyton Manning had six vs. Detroit on 11/25/04 … threw for 342 yards @ Sea (9/23), marking his second-highest passing total on the season; combined with his 401-yard performance the previous week, threw for at least 300 yards in back-to-back games for just the second time in his career … threw for 226 yards and a TD on just 21 attempts in a comeback victory vs. NYJ (10/21); trailing 23-10 late in the third quarter, hit Houshmandzadeh for a 3-yard TD that began a streak of 28 unanswered points by the Bengals … led the Bengals to their third consecutive win, and fifth win in six tries against the Ravens when he completed 23 of 34 attempts for 271 yards @ Bal (11/11); combined with the ’05 season, marked second season sweep of the Ravens in three years … posted a then-career high 37 completions on 52 attempts vs. Ari (11/18) … completed 32 of 38 pass attempts vs. Ten (11/25), establishing a career high with his 84.2 completion percentage; threw for 283 yards and three TDs, giving him a 113.0 passer rating; connected with Johnson on all three TDs in the 35-6 victory … hit WR Chris Henry for a 52-yard TD in the second quarter on Saturday Night @ SF (12/15), marking his 100th career TD pass; 100th career TD pass came in just his  59th game, making him the fifth-fastest QB in NFL history to reach the century mark, trailing only Dan Marino (44), Kurt Warner (50), Johnny Unitas (53) and Peyton Manning (56) … finished the season by posting a season-high 121.4 passer rating @ Mia (12/30) after completing 23 of 32 attempts (71.9%) for 316 yards, three TDs and a INT; second TD pass of the game was a season-long 70-yard strike to C. Johnson in the second quarter.

2006: Successfully returned from a knee injury suffered in the ’05 postseason by starting all 16 games for the second straight year and became the first QB in franchise history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season … earned second straight Pro Bowl selection and earned Pro Bowl MVP honors … completed 324 of 520 pass attempts (62.3%) for 4,035 yards and 28 TDs … ranked second in the AFC in six passing categories: TDs (28), yards (4,035), completions (324), TD percentage (5.4), average gain per pass (7.76) and TD/INT differential (plus-15) … had a streak of 153 consecutive passes without an INT between Weeks 3-8 … posted a passer rating of 120+ in three consecutive games (9-11), marking the first time in his career he had a rating of 120+ in consecutive games … posted his sixth career 300-yard outing when he completed 24 of 40 attempts for 352 yards, two TDs and two INTs in a win vs. Cle (9/17) … tied a then-career high with four TD passes in a 28-20 road win @ Pit (9/24); four TD passes tied for the highest single game total among any AFC passer on the season; Steelers took a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter before Palmer connected with Houshmandzadeh on two fourth quarter TD passes (9 and 30 yards) to lead the Bengals to the win … completed 23 of 39 pass attempts for 240 yards and two TDs in a win vs. Car (10/22); trailing 14-10 entering the fourth quarter, Palmer orchestrated a 13-play, 86-yard TD drive in the fourth quarter, capped with a one-yard TD pass to Houshmandzadeh to give the Bengals a 17-14 win; game-winning drive also featured a 4th-n-1 gamble that resulted in a 32-yard completion to Johnson to the Panthers’ three-yard line … threw for 266 yards and two TDs vs. Atl (10/29), including a 55-yard TD strike to Henry in the fourth quarter … posted a career high 440 passing yards and established a then-career high with 31 completions as he added three TD passes and a passer rating of 131.1 vs. SD (11/12); connected with Johnson 11 times as the receiver established a franchise record with 260 yards on the day, including a 74-yard TD reception from Palmer that marked the Bengals longest play from scrimmage for the season; 440 passing yards ranked as the highest single-game total in the AFC on the season and the second-best mark in the NFL behind Drew Brees (510) … threw for 275 yards on just 22 attempts, averaging a then-career high with 12.5 yards per pass attempt @ NO (11/19); threw for three TDs and posted a passer rating of 127.8, his second consecutive game with a passer rating of 120+; three TDs passes included 60-yard and 41-yard strikes to Johnson … posted a season-high 78.1 completion percentage (25 of 32) and added three TDs, an INT and a passer rating of 120.7 in a win @ Cle (11/26); marked his third consecutive game with a passer rating of 120+, the longest streak of his career … threw for 234 yards, including a 40-yard TD pass to Houshmandzadeh in the third quarter that proved to be the game-winner in a 17-13 Thursday Night victory vs. Bal (11/30); marked the Bengals third straight victory … threw a pair of fourth-quarter TDs, a 66-yarder to Henry and five-yarder to Tony Stewart that gave the Bengals a 17-14 advantage in eventual 23-17 overtime loss in the season finale vs. Pit (12/31) … became the first Bengals player to earn Pro Bowl MVP honors after throwing for two TDs and leading the game-winning FG drive as the AFC prevailed 31-18; TD passes came on a 72-yard strike to WR Reggie Wayne and a 42-yard pass to teammate Chad Johnson.

2005: Started all 16 regular season games and earned his first career Pro Bowl selection after leading the NFL with a franchise record 32 TD passes while guiding Cincinnati to an 11-5 record and division title … started the team’s Wild Card matchup but was knocked out of the game on the second snap after taking a blow to the knee … during the regular season, led the NFL with a 67.8 completion percentage, completing a franchise record 345 passes on 509 attempts … posted a franchise record 101.1 passer rating on the season, tying the NFL record by posting a 100+ passer rating in nine consecutive games dating back to the ’04 season … also tied the NFL record for most 100-plus passer ratings in a season (11) … with 32 TD passes on the season compared to just 12 INTs, Palmer’s TD/INT differential of plus-20 was the best mark in the NFL … named AFC Offensive Player of Month in September after leading the team to a 3-0 record while posting a 114.0 passer rating (69 of 97, 71.1%, for 786 yards, 8 TDs and 2 INTs) … opened the season by completing 26 of 34 pass attempts (76.5%) for 280 yards, two TDs, an INT and a 107.5 passer rating @ Cle (9/11) … threw for a season-high 337 yards with three TDs, including a 70-yard strike to Chad Johnson on the second play from scrimmage in a 37-8 win vs. Min (9/18) … finished the month of September by completing 16 of 23 attempts (69.6%) for 169 yards and three TDs @ Chi (9/25), including TD passes of 36 yards (Henry) and 40 yards (Johnson) … threw for 276 yards and a TD while engineering a 13-play, 61-yard FG drive to beat the Texans in fourth quarter vs. Hou (10/2) … threw for 239 yards, two TDs and a passer rating of 108.0 in a Sunday Night matchup @ Jax (10/9), posting a passer rating of 100+ in his fifth consecutive game to open the season and eighth consecutive game dating back to ’04 … had an 81.8 completion percentage (27 of 33) and compiled a 121.2 passer rating after throwing for 272 yards and two TDs @ Ten (10/16); marked his ninth consecutive game with a 100+ passer rating, tying the NFL record set by the Colts Peyton Manning in 2004; at one point in the contest, Palmer had completed 20 of 22 pass attempts for a 90.9 completion percentage … threw three TD passes in a 21-14 win vs. GB (10/30), marking his sixth game (out of 8 on the season) with multiple TD passes … recorded a passer rating of 128.4 @ Bal (11/6) after completing 19 of 26 pass attempts (73.1%) for 248 yards and two TDs in a 21-9 win over the division rival … posted his second 300-yard passing game of the season when he threw for 335 yards and two TDs vs. Ind (11/20) in a 45-37 shootout loss; yardage total included a 68-yard TD pass to Johnson in the first quarter … led the Bengals to a season sweep of the division rival Ravens after posting 302 yards, three TDs and a 124.6 passer rating in a 42-29 win vs. Bal (11/27); threw TD passes of 54 yards (Johnson), 30 yards (Houshmandzadeh) and 27 yards (Henry) on the day … posted a 101.5 passer rating and threw three first half TD passes in a crucial road win against the eventual Super Bowl champs @ Pit (12/4); TD total included a 43-yard strike to Houshmandzadeh … had a four-yard TD pass to Houshmandzadeh on crucial 3rd-n-goal in the third quarter and led a 12-play, 43-yard drive that consumed the final 4:19 seconds of regulation and ended on a game-winning 37-yard FG as time expired in a 23-20 win vs. Cle (12/11) … led the way with three TD passes and a 95.5 passer rating as the Bengals clinched their first divisional title and playoff berth since 1990 with a 41-17 win @ Det (12/18); third TD pass of the day was a seven-yarder to Houshmandzadeh in the second quarter that gave Palmer a franchise record 30 TD passes on the season, surpassing Ken Anderson’s 1981 total of 29 … threw for 266 yards and two TDs, including a 41-yard strike to Johnson in the second quarter vs. Buf (12/24) … started the regular season finale @ KC (1/1/06) and completed five of eight pass attempts before leaving the game following the first quarter … in the Bengals first postseason game since 1990, started the Wild Card matchup vs. Pit (1/8/06) and completed a 66-yard pass to Henry on his first pass attempt of the game, but was injured on the play when he was hit at the knees by the Steelers Kimo von Oelhoffen; hit tore Palmer’s ACL and MCL ligaments in his left knee and ended his season.

2004: Started all 13 games he appeared in and took every offensive snap until he was sidelined with a knee ligament sprain suffered in Week 14 … showed significant progress in posting a 96.9 passer rating over his last six games after posting a 62.6 rating in his first seven matchups … following a 1-4 start, led the Bengals to a 5-3 record over the final eight games … finished the season having completed 263 of 432 (60.9%) pass attempts for 2,897 yards, 18 TDs and 18 INTs … led two fourth quarter comebacks on the season and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for leading a comeback win over the division rival Ravens in Week 13 … made his NFL debut and threw TD passes of 6 and 63 yards @ NYJ (9/12); completed 18 of 27 attempts (66.7%) for 248 yards, two TDs, an INT and a passer rating of 105.2 in his first career NFL action … earned his first career victory the following week in a 16-13 win vs. Mia (9/19) on Sunday Night Football; completed seven of eight pass attempts for 50 yards on the game-winning FG drive in final two minutes … directed his second national primetime win of the season in Monday Night action vs. Den (10/25); completed 12 of 21 pass attempts for 198 yards, a TD, an INT and a passer rating of 85.0; had two 50-yard completions to WR Chad Johnson, one coming on a TD pass in the first quarter to give the Bengals a 7-0 lead … completed 21 of 32 pass attempts (65.6%) for 212 yards and a TD in a 26-3 victory vs. Dal (11/7), adding his first career rushing TD on a two-yard run in the fourth quarter; passing TD came on a 76-yard completion to TE Matt Schobel in the third quarter that gave Cincinnati a 16-3 lead …  led the team to its third win in four games after completing 22 of 29 attempts (75.9%) for 251 yards, a season-high four TDs, three INTs and a passer rating of 101.4 vs. Cle (11/28); led Bengals back from 48-44 fourth-quarter deficit in 58-48 victory … named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after leading a comeback win and throwing for 382 yards and three fourth-quarter TD passes @ Bal (12/5); down 20-3 after three quarters, Palmer threw TD passes of 13 and 12 yards to Chad Johnson and a nine-yard TD pass to WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the fourth quarter while also leading an eight-play 60-yard drive that ended in a 24-yard game-winning FG in the 27-26 victory … completed 18 of 24 attempts (75.0%) for 202 yards, two TDs and an INT before sustaining a season-ending knee ligament strain late in the third quarter … inactive (knee) for the final three games.

2003: Did not appear in a game during his rookie season … inactive (3rd QB) for Games 1-5 and 13-16 … DNP as the backup to Jon Kitna in Games 6-12.

College:

Played 53 games with 45 starts, competing over five seasons (1998-2002) because of injury-shortened ‘99 campaign for which he received a medical redshirt … left USC as the Pac-10’s all-time leader in passing yards (11,818), completions (927) and total offense (11,621) while his 72 career TD passes had also set a school record … as a senior in 2002, won the Heisman Trophy after leading the Trojans to 11-2 record, including a 38-17 Orange Bowl win over Iowa … established USC season records for completions (309), passing yards (3,942) and TD passes (33), and threw only 10 INTs … led Trojans to wins in the last eight games of his senior season, with the team averaging 41.5 points per game during that stretch … established a school record with seven 300-yards passing performances and threw at least two TD passes in nine straight games … established a USC record with 147 consecutive pass attempts without an INT … as a junior in 2001, completed 221 of 377 pass attempts (58.6%) for 2,717 yards, 13 TDs, 12 INTs … led the team to four consecutive victories to end the season after a 2-5 start … as a redshirt sophomore in 2000, completed 228 of 415 pass attempts for 2,914 yards, 16 TDs and 18 INTs … as a true sophomore in 1999, led Trojans to victories in first two games, but suffered a season-ending broken right collarbone just before halftime at Oregon that led to a medical redshirt season … his four starts as a freshman in 1998 made him only the second true freshman to start a game at QB for the storied program (following Rob Johnson, who started one game in ‘91).

Personal:

On July 5, 2003, Palmer wed a former USC soccer player, Shaelynn,whom he met during freshman orientation. In the off-season, they reside in San Diego, California. His brother, Jordan Palmer, was his best man at his wedding. His wife gave birth to twins on January 20, 2009, one boy Fletch and a girl Elle.

He is a devout Christian, "I've been a Christian as long as I can remember. I've always been in church with my family through high school and college."

In 2008, Nike released 3 Air Max 90s, one of which was designed in the Nike ID studios by Palmer. The shoe's colorway bears a strong resemblance to the famous Air Max 90 Infrareds.

Palmer is a contributor to Delta Air Lines' "Under the Wing" blog. Delta maintains a hub at Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Palmer was the best man at NFL quarterback Matt Cassel's wedding. Cassel was Palmer's backup QB at USC.

Palmer appeared as himself on The Replacements in many episodes. His first appearance was "Ball Hogs".