Ken Zampese’s history of developing quarterbacks is good news for Redskins
Cincinnati Bengals: Carson Palmer
Zampese was hired by the Bengals in 2003 as their quarterbacks coach. He stayed with the organization through 2017 and was the QB coach in all but the final two seasons of his time there. At that point, he was the team’s offensive coordinator.
But when Zampese first joined the Bengals and Marvin Lewis’ staff, they were one of the laughing stocks of the NFL. Armed with the No. 1 overall pick, the team brought Zampese aboard and he helped make the decision to take Carson Palmer with that selection.
Palmer, the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner, was an easy selection given that he had thrown for nearly 4,000 yards, 33 touchdowns, and just 10 picks during his final season at USC. He easily became the best QB from the 2003 class and that was thanks, in part, to Zampese.
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Once Palmer joined the team, Zampese was tasked with helping Palmer transition to the pro game. During his first year, Palmer didn’t play at all. The Bengals let veteran Jon Kitna start while Palmer learned from Zampese on the bench. The decision to develop Palmer off the field was an unusual one for the No. 1 pick, but it paid off.
Palmer had a middle-of-the-road second season in which he tossed an equal number of touchdowns and interceptions (18 each). But looked solid in 13 starts, setting the foundation for future success. And in his third season, Palmer led the league in touchdown passes (32), completion percentage (67.8), and led the Bengals to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. It was a big jump, and one that may not have been possible had Zampese thrown Palmer into the fire right away.
As his career went on in Cincinnati, Palmer would continue to be a solid starter. Injuries kept him from living up to the lofty status of being the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, but he was far from a bust. And he kept the Bengals competitive on the field, as evidenced by his 26-22 record from 2005-2007 (again, keep in mind that the Bengals were bad prior to that, and logged a 12-36 record in the three seasons prior Palmer being drafted).
Zampese deserves credit for his work with Palmer. He and the team made the right decision sitting him and getting him ready for the NFL, and it paid off as Palmer quickly became a solid starter once he hit the field. Palmer’s 62.9 percent completion rate and 154 touchdowns compared to 100 interceptions in seven years of action under Zampese reflects well on the coach, especially since that was the first passer he developed with the official title of quarterbacks coach.
It’s also worth noting that after Palmer left Zampese, he struggled during his first season with the Oakland Raiders. He threw more interceptions (16) than touchdowns (13) in 10 games for the Raiders. He may have been rusty after sitting out the start of the season, as he had retired while refusing to play for the Bengals, but nonetheless, he regressed at first without Zampese.
Palmer may have been the first Cincy quarterback that Zampese developed. But he wasn’t the last, as a second-round pick from 2011 ended up being Zampese’s next successful project.