Arians: Palmer is father figure, but I'm cool uncle

There hasn't been much to laugh about for the Arizona Cardinals this season, but head coach Bruce Arians is trying to keep his sense of humor.

Often times coaches are referred to as the father figures of their teams, however, Arians doesn't believe the role suits him, especially with resident senior Carson Palmer playing quarterback.

"You want your quarterback to be the leader, but he’s also a father figure to those guys," Arians said. "He’s not a big brother; he’s too old to be a big brother. I’m a cool uncle, but he’s a father figure."

Palmer, the Cardinals' oldest player, celebrated his 37th birthday Wednesday by doing "nothing fun".

While he hasn't had the greatest season of his career - tossing just 23 touchdowns while committing 13 interceptions and 14 fumbles - his veteran leadership has never wavered.

"I don’t feel like it’s weighed heavy on me or it’s been a burden," Palmer said. "It’s just part of your role. Once you get to 10 years in the NFL, you’ve seen a lot, you’ve been through a lot of situations and you have the right to say certain things. I think that’s kind of where I felt most of the year."