Cardinals dialing back Palmer's offseason workload

In an effort to preserve Carson Palmer's right arm, which has 14 seasons and 44,269 passing yards on it, the Arizona Cardinals are dialing back the quarterback's workload this spring.

"We talked quite a bit about it, and as you know, (head coach Bruce Arians is) pretty persuasive, and came with a plan. I'm sticking with the plan, which is to hold off for now," Palmer said, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.

Palmer has been watching as the other QBs on the roster have taken all the reps during OTAs. The plan appears to be for him to skip the first two weeks of offseason practices, as well. He'll resume throwing during the last week of OTAs and a three-day minicamp that begins in early June.

"I'm really doing everything except for throwing a football, working out, lifting, foot work," he said. "All the muscles around the shoulder you can work without throwing a football. I'm just cutting back on all the throws."

Palmer led the Cardinals to the NFC Championship Game in 2015, but he and his team regressed severely in 2016. His quarterback rating dropped from 104.6 to 87.2, his touchdown throws fell from 35 to 26, and his interceptions jumped from 11 to 14, while Arizona finished the year 7-8-1 and missed the playoffs.

As Palmer, 37, nears the end of his career, it's a sensible move to preserve whatever the veteran has left.