Carson Palmer Watch is nearing its happy conclusion.
Two days after Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport that he's returning to play in 2017, coach Bruce Arians said he expects Fitz's quarterback to join him back in the desert.
"I think he'll announce he's coming back real soon," Arians told ESPN on Friday. "I think it's just a matter of letting all the bumps and bruises heal, have a great time with the kids snow skiing ... and he'll be back."
Both Palmer and Fitzgerald are in the twilights of their careers, so it was understood by many involved that their decisions to stay or go would be tied at the hip. Fitz's announcement on Wednesday hinted that Palmer's return is more likely than not. Arians' statement on Friday all but confirms it.
"He played so well at the end of the season. He's not ready to give it up, I don't believe," Arians added. "I think it's just a matter of the body healing, like every year with those older guys. And we now have a way of keeping him fresh every week. And he knows that we can keep him fresh and ready for Sundays."
The Cardinals followed up their conference championship run in 2015 with a pedestrian 2016. But the returns of both Palmer and Fitz should keep the Super Bowl window open just a little longer for the Cardinals, who boast a bevy of young talent to build around in Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu and David Johnson.
Palmer is set to make $17.5 million in salary and bonuses, while Fitzgerald is due to make $11 million in 2017. But for Arizona, those figures are well worth making one last run at Lombardi.Â
