Cardinals extend contracts of Fitzgerald, Palmer

“Clearly these are two core members of our team who have played major roles in our success”, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said in a news release announcing the signings.

While Fitzgerald had been scheduled to be a free agent after the 2016 season, Palmer had been scheduled to reach free agency after 2017.

Arizona Cardinals duo Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald enjoyed a resurgent season a year ago, but they missed out on their ultimate goal of a Super Bowl title.

The veterans will be with the Arizona Cardinals for a little longer.

On the heels of the contract extension for safety Tyrann Mathieu, the Cardinals dropped an unexpected bombshell Friday by simultaneously extending the contracts of their best receiver and their quarterback.

“Each of them had contracts that were due to expire in the next year or two so these extensions provide a measure of certainty and clarity for the players and organisation, both now and in the years ahead”.

Palmer’s extension is worth $24.35 million, and the next two years of his contract are fully guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Case in point: After another quarterback had a six-turnover meltdown in a Cardinals-Panthers playoff game almost eight years ago, he received a five-year extension (with $20 million guaranteed) that ostensibly bound him to Carolina through 2014.

Palmer is 36 and entering his 14th National Football League season, fourth with the Cardinals.

The extensions buy the Cardinals time and relax the air around training camp. It’s only fitting that he signed a deal that will potentially allow him to retire with the team that drafted him third overall in 2004. They came within one win of playing in the second Super Bowl in franchise history, thanks in large part to the chemistry between Fitzgerald and quarterback Carson Palmer. Arizona wanted to keep the core of its team, its foundation, together for as long as it possibly can, and these extensions will enable the Cardinals to do just that.