The Bengals ended nine months of uncertainty Tuesday when they dealt Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders for two draft picks. Palmer told the Bengals in January that he wouldn’t play for them again, and he wanted a trade, something that owner Mike Brown had adamantly refused. Shortly before the trading deadline, Brown did an about-face and traded Palmer for a 2012 first-round pick and a 2013 conditional second-round selection — a better deal than he’d expected for the 31-year-old quarterback.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis indicated he would have preferred trading Palmer earlier, but Brown wasn’t ready until the Raiders’ offer came along. “When you sign a contract, you’re bound to the contract,” Lewis said. “We’re going to hold true to that until it’s time for us to best benefit the football team. Just like Paul Brown said, we’ll tolerate you as long as we need you. … “This was a good deal for both clubs. I know we’re excited about it, and I think they are as well.” Lewis said rookie quarterback Andy Dalton’s solid play in the first six games made Brown more comfortable with trading Palmer.