AP

Much of the talk this week regarding the trade that sent quarterback Carson Palmer from the Bengals to the Raiders focused on the modern-day Herschel Walker package that the Raiders sent to Cincinnati. Not much has been said about the financial sacrifice Palmer made to get out of Ohio.

Rosenthal pointed out the other day that Palmer agreed to cut his salary from $7.4 million over the balance of the year to $2.5 million, for a haircut of nearly $5 million.

But a look at the bigger picture reveals that Palmer gave up a whopping $9 million to leave the Bengals, given that he was due to make $11.5 million in 2011.

And while $5 million of his salary in 2012 is guaranteed, the Raiders surely won’t cut a guy following one season after giving up a first-round pick and a second-round pick that could upgrade to a second first-rounder. Instead, the concern should be that Palmer, who apparently was coming to terms with retirement, will decide after a partial season in Oakland that he’ll toss the extra $2.5 million (before taxes) onto his nest egg and call it quits, again.