Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer announces retirement

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer announced his retirement Tuesday after 15 NFL seasons.

"Over the years, I've had teammates who decided to hang it up and I would ask them how they knew when it was time to walk away," Palmer, 38, wrote in a letter making the announcement. "The answer was almost always the same: You just know.

"For me that time is now. Why? Quite simply, I just know."

Palmer's 2017 season -- and ultimately his career -- ended when he broke his left arm on Oct. 22 in London in a game against the Los Angeles Rams.

"For 15 years I have been lucky enough to play quarterback in the NFL and it has been the most incredible experience of my life," Palmer wrote. "There wasn't one second that I took it for granted or failed to appreciate what a tremendous privilege it is."

Palmer passed for 46,247 yards and 294 touchdowns against 187 interceptions during a career that included stints with the Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders in addition to playing his final five seasons with Arizona. The yardage and touchdowns both rank 12th in NFL history, and Palmer stands 11th with 3,941 career completions.

Palmer was the No. 1 overall pick by Cincinnati in the 2003 NFL Draft.

Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who is also considering retirement, said he relished being Palmer's teammate.

"He's been an unbelievable teammate," Fitzgerald said. "I've seen him grow as a player, picking up this system and having some of the best numbers of his career."

Bruce Arians, who retired as Cardinals' coach on Monday, appreciated Palmer's contributions.

"It's been fantastic, some of the best (years) of his career, some of the best of my career," Arians said of Palmer's time in Arizona. "His numbers and the wins. His leadership. It's just a shame he had the knee (injury) and now the arm, or I think he'd have done wondrous things in his time here."

Palmer submitted his retirement letter while on vacation with his family. He detailed what he will miss most by no longer being an NFL player.

"I'll especially miss the grind," Palmer wrote. "It's the part I don't think people fully appreciate, maybe because many NFL players make the game look so easy and effortless. The mental and physical preparation it takes to compete -- week in and week out, year in and year out -- is draining and grueling but has always been my favorite part."

Palmer was the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner while at Southern Cal.

--Field Level Media