Cardinals give Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald 1-year extensions
— -- At a time when some have wondered whether this would be Carson Palmer's and Larry Fitzgerald's last season, Arizona has extended the contracts and careers of both players.
The Cardinals announced one-year contract extensions for Palmer and Fitzgerald on Friday, tying the quarterback to Arizona through the 2018 season and the wide receiver to the team through 2017.
The total deal for Palmer will be just over $24 million, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano. He will get a $6.75 million signing bonus and a new $2 million roster bonus, plus $15.5 million in salary and bonuses fully guaranteed in 2017. Before the extension deal, none of his money for 2017 had been guaranteed.
His 2018 salary will be $12.5 million plus a $1.5 million roster bonus, none of which is guaranteed, according to the source.
"Clearly these are two core members of our team who have played major roles in our success," said Cardinals general manager Steve Keim in a statement. "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 organization, both now and in the years ahead. It also reaffirms our long-stated intention that when the time comes, these two great players end their stellar careers as Cardinals."
The deals came one day after Arizona signed defensive back Tyrann Mathieu to a five-year, $62.5 million extension, with $21.5 million guaranteed at signing.
The Cardinals wanted to keep the core of their team together for as long as they could, and these extensions will enable them to do just that. Palmer is 36 and Fitzgerald turns 33 this month, but they have played as if they're in the prime of their careers.
Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell called the news about Carson "great."
"You can't win without a quarterback in this league and Carson's been working hard. He looks like he found the fountain of youth. The guy never gets old. He just looks better and better each day. Going against him I just see his movement in the pocket. It's a big-time signing. I think that's really good for us forward. It gives us a few more years of certainty," Campbell said.
Campbell also reacted positively to Fitzgerald's extension, describing the wideout as one of his idols.
"That's a guy I've always looked up to and I have so much respect for. He's been my role model since Day 1. He let me in on the secret a couple day earlier so I knew about that one for a couple of days. He's just a great guy. He's very deserving," Campbell added.
Both players are coming off some of their best and most productive NFL seasons.
Last season, Palmer threw for a career-best 4,671 yards and a career-best 35 touchdowns. Palmer joined the Cardinals in 2013 after being acquired in a trade from the Oakland Raiders. Since coming to Arizona, Palmer has a 29-9 record as a starter, including a 19-3 mark over the past two seasons. A Heisman Trophy winner at USC, Palmer was the No. 1 overall pick by Cincinnati in the 2003 draft.
Fitzgerald caught a career-high 109 passes for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. Entering his 13th season in Arizona, Fitzgerald was originally taken by the Cardinals as the third overall pick of the 2004 NFL draft out of Pittsburgh.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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