From what I’ve been hearing Carson Palmer and Terrelle Pryor would be battling for the starting quarterback spot with the Oakland Raiders. But when examined if Pryor wins out in the QB race, Palmer’s contract is way too high for a backup which means he could be released from the team. Read more after the jump.
The rumblings have already started, and each time Terrelle Pryor makes a media appearance, it ramps up. Will the Oakland Raiders go into 2013 with Pryor as the starter? Why is such a seismic shift dwelling so far under the radar? The Raiders have been pretty up-front about their quarterback situation, saying it will be a competition. And that means Oakland paying incumbent Carson Palmer $13 million simply doesn’t compute.
Palmer recently told Comcast SportsNet Bay Area that he’s not sure what’s going to happen, but he’d love to come back and compete. Perhaps. But a more likely scenario in my mind is that Palmer sees the writing on the wall, would decline to take a pay cut and join a mostly dormant free-agent market as the biggest name on it. The Raiders could move on with Pryor and likely a quarterback from the draft. With some talent issues up front, a mobile quarterback might be better than the statuesque Palmer. Plus, Palmer already showed he doesn’t care about money as much as others when he was willing to forfeit significant salary instead of playing for the Cincinnati Bengals a few years ago. Don’t be shocked — if the Raiders part ways with him — to see Palmer land in a place where he can compete against a young up-and-comer.
