Palmer, Fitz both returning for Cards
The Arizona Cardinals will have their starting quarterback back for 2017, as Carson Palmer confirmed he will return to play next season.
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Cardinals are 35/1 to win the Super Bowl in 2017. The Patriots are favored at 6/1, while the Cowboys, Falcons and Packers are 15/1, respectively, and the Steelers are 18/1. The Raiders, meanwhile, are 20/1 to win the 2017 Super Bowl.
It was expected all along that Palmer would return in 2017, but the quarterback took his time before making an announcment. After leading the Cardinals to the NFC Championship Game in 2015, Palmer’s play fell off dramatically in 2016. Seeing as how Arizona didn’t have another viable starter on the roster, this is huge for the Cardinals that Palmer is returning.
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During Super Bowl week, receiver Larry Fitzgerald also confirmed that he’s returning for the 2017 NFL season. Fitz told ESPN’s Jim Rotter that he’s “definitely” returning next season in what will be the final year of his contract. It’s reasonable to believe that 2017 will also be Fitzgerald’s farewell tour. The receiver has strung together consecutive 100-catch, 1,000-yard campaigns.
A few players that might not be back in Arizona are Calais Campbell, Jermaine Gresham and Chandler Jones, who are all free agents this March. The biggest loss of the three would be Jones, whom the Cardinals acquired from the Patriots last offseason. Jones is unquestionably Arizona’s best pass-rusher and if the Cardinals lose him, they would have a big void to fill on defense. Even if Jones does return to the desert, the Cardinals could still look for a pass-rusher in the first few rounds of this year’s draft.