2005: Carson Palmer (BEST)
Why He’s here: This was Palmer’s breakout season and not enough people remember just how good he was. The 32 touchdown passes is a number he didn’t top until 2015. His 2.4% interception percentage was also the lowest he had until much later in his career. Over the course of the 2005 season, Palmer matched Peyton Manning (surprise, surprise) with nine straight games of a quarterback rating of 100 or better. Unfortunately, this season is remembered more for how it ended with Palmer suffering a serious knee injury that at the time was potentially career threatening. Of course, Palmer recovered and went on to have many more good seasons, even if none of them ever matched his 2005 campaign.
Team Success: Palmer’s biggest accomplishment in 2005 may have been helping the Bengals breaking their 15-year playoff drought. Cincinnati finished 11-5 and won the AFC North, only to lose to the Steelers in the playoffs after Palmer’s injury.
By the Numbers: Completed 345 of 509 passes (67.8%) for 3,836 yards with 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.