FOXBORO, Mass. — Carson Palmer’s take on Tom Brady and Deflategate put him in New England fans’ crosshairs but not on Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s bad side.
Belichick said Thursday he hadn’t seen Palmer’s comments (“You get busted, … then you suffer the consequences”), which he gave the previous day in a conference call with New England media members, but the coach went out of his way to praise the veteran Arizona Cardinals quarterback’s character and football ability.
“I didn’t see it, but I have a lot of respect for Carson Palmer,” Belichick said. “We’ve known Carson through the years, had him at the Pro Bowl. I really have a lot of respect for Carson, what he’s done in his career with three different organizations (the Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals). I think he’s an outstanding person, an outstanding quarterback, a competitor. He’s had a tremendous career.”
The Patriots visit Palmer’s Cardinals this Sunday night in Week 1 of the NFL season. Brady will miss the game and the following three as he serves his Deflategate suspension.
Thumbnail photo via Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports Images
