Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals: Just say no to Romo

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:11 p.m. ET

Fansided, Scott Allen/FanSided via Raising Zona

The Arizona Cardinals are still waiting for a decision from quarterback Carson Palmer

Ever since the day Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald announced that he was returning to the team in 2017 people have been wondering if quarterback Carson Palmer will do the same? Many wish he would give an answer sooner than later.

For the Cardinals sake, they likely have a backup plan in place. They probably have a good short list of quarterbacks they will draft with or without Palmer on the roster next season.

What they probably don’t want is Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians doubted the other day it would happen.

Will Cowboys QB Tony Romo be a Cardinal next year?

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians is skeptical: https://t.co/CufEJZzkqn pic.twitter.com/8RGeYSZ2Vp

— ABC15 Sports (@abc15sports) February 3, 2017

Count me in that group of fans that just want the Cardinals to say “no”. I have nothing against Romo the quarterback. In fact, if this was 5-10 years ago I’m all over it.

The fact is if he came to Arizona, who happens to be on his short list of teams he’d play for, he’d be another Palmer. He’d be a stop gap quarterback.

Of course that’s what many thought Palmer, 37, would be when he was traded by the Oakland Raiders to the Cardinals in 2013. Palmer was also 33 at the time. Romo is a little over two months shy of 37 himself.

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He is prone to injury. He can’t be the Cardinals next quarterback, even if it means they need to go through some growing pains with a younger quarterback.

I get it, the Cardinals could do worse. He would have to learn a whole new system. It took Palmer about half the 2013 season to become comfortable in Bruce Arians’ offense.

If the Cardinals are going to wait it out for someone to become comfortable in the offense, then a rookie quarterback is the way to go. If Palmer returns, that rookie can learn behind Palmer.

You can’t have a rookie learning the Cardinals offense behind Romo. Now, Romo can certainly mentor a younger quarterback in handling pressure and learning how to handle himself on and off the field. However if Romo is still learning the Cardinals offense himself, how will he be able to devote a lot of time to that endeavor?