Former Bengals QB Carson Palmer has a warning for Joe Burrow

CINCINNATI (THE ENQUIRER)- According to our media partners at the Cincinnati Enquirer, former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer offered a warning to Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow - expected by many to be the Bengals’ pick at No. 1 in the 2020 NFL Draft - based on his own experience in Cincinnati, in an interview with The D.A. Show with Damon Amendolara on CBS Sports Radio.

“That’s why I wanted out: I never felt like the (Bengals') organization was really trying to win a Super Bowl, and really chasing the Super Bowl,” Palmer said. “Because that’s what today’s day and age is. The game today is you can’t just hope you draft well and not go after free agents and you just end up in the Super Bowl. You gotta go get it. And I then went and played for Michael Bidwill in Arizona, and Michael was all about winning. Everything was about winning. The culture was about winning. And we - very fortunately - the year before I got to Arizona, I think they won a couple games, or three or four games. And Michael Bidwill dug his feet in the ground, and I saw an owner say we’re gonna go after this. And we’re gonna do what it takes to win. And at the end of the day when owners do what it takes to win and have that type of mentality - and everybody’s on board - you know I saw it right before my eyes. Ten wins, 11 wins, 12 wins - whatever it was - those next three years. And when the organization is completely behind doing what it takes to win, and you’ve got the right players, then that’s the recipe for a Super Bowl. When you’ve got good players but you’re not really forcing everybody in the organization’s hand to do what we can to be better, to do what we can to win a Super Bowl, that’s the difference in the NFL. You look at what Bob Kraft’s done. You look at the teams that have had success year in and year out. You look at what goes on in Baltimore. I mean, that team is always good. That team is doing whatever it takes. They are willing to do whatever it takes to win. And that’s why they’re consistently in the playoffs, regardless of who their quarterback is.”

Palmer told Dan Patrick Show earlier this week that Joe Burrow "is such a spectacular talent" who "seems to be an obvious No. 1 pick."

“Duke Tobin’s done a great job since he’s ... seems like he’s been leading the charge as far as the draft process goes,” Palmer said. “There’s been some talent there. Whether the organization buys in and is fully going after a Super Bowl and really trying to win a Super Bowl is the other question. But talent-wise they’ve had some good players. I was fortunate to play with a lot of really good players - just at the receiver position. ... There were some really good ... skill players on the offensive side of the ball. You’ve still got A.J. Green - hopefully he says he wants to come back - we’ll see. But they’re drafting No. 1 for a reason - it’s because they were the worst team in the National Football League. So obviously he’s not going into an environment like Patrick Mahomes went into in Kansas City. So we’ll see.”

In an interview earlier this month, Palmer talked about what Burrow might mean to the Bengals if they draft him, insisting that “the quarterback position is just so important, and Cincinnati desperately needs a quarterback.”

The 40-year-old Palmer, the Bengals' starting quarterback for seven seasons, also was critical of his former team in November during a podcast interview with John Middlekauff during the 3 and Out podcast.

Palmer, the former No. 1 pick who played for the Bengals from 2003 until he was traded to the Raiders in 2011, announced his retirement from football in January of 2018.

Palmer ranks 14th in NFL history with 46,247 passing yards. His 294 career passing touchdowns rank 13th.