Carson Palmer came within a game of the Super Bowl last season. This year, nothing less will do.
The Cardinals quarterback arrived Tuesday for Arizona's organized team activities with one goal, saying: "I enjoy working to prove doubters wrong."
Those doubters have tagged Palmer for years as a signal-caller who can't win championships, but that doesn't bother the 36-year-old veteran.
"I don't look at that as a negative," Palmer said, per The Arizona Republic. "... Playing quarterback in the National Football League, getting to the Super Bowl is an incredible challenge. ... That's why I'm still playing. I (strive) for it. You get addicted to it."
Prior to that postseason implosion, Palmer operated as a legitimate MVP candidate despite undergoing season-ending knee surgery in 2014. Another offseason removed from rehab, there's no reason to believe that Palmer can't find his groove again this autumn, assuming Father Time cooperates.
If he can match last year's performance, the Cardinals remain a strong contender to get back to the NFC Championship Game -- and maybe one step beyond.
