The Facts: Palmer and Bruce Arians can't seem to agree on whose idea it was to curtail the quarterback's offseason work, but the plan for Palmer to throw less these early months is in full effect. "I'm really doing everything except for throwing a football," Palmer said, "working out, lifting, footwork. All the muscles around the shoulder you can work without throwing a football. I'm just cutting back on all the throws."
Diehards Line:
As NFL.com's Kevin Patra reminded readers, the plan is for Palmer to rest his arm all spring, have a few tune-up practices in June and be ready for training camp in late July. The Cards began holding back Palmer during practices last season, having the veteran skip Wednesday sessions and take limited snaps on Thursdays. It was only natural to continue the resting pattern in the offseason. At 37 years old, Palmer understands the steps needed to take to continue playing at a high level. "I don't think I've done a good job the last eight or nine years of my career," Palmer said. "I've treated the last eight or nine years like I was 24, 25, 26, like the first eight or nine years of my career." Patra further noted that resting Palmer's arm certainly helped last season. To open the year Palmer's arm strength seemed weakened and his deep ball was noticeably off. As the year wore on and the rest took effect, he returned to being a top-10 quarterback down the stretch -- throwing 16 touchdowns to just eight interceptions in the final eight games. That's the kind of production the Cardinals -- and fantasy owners -- will be hoping for this season.