Palmer was born in Toronto, Ontario,[4] and raised in Nepean, Ontario, a suburb of Ottawa. He attended both Confederation and St. Pius X high schools, although he played all of his amateur football on teams in the Ontario Minor Football Association and most importantly with the Ottawa Norsemen and Myers Riders Football Clubs in Ottawa.[5]
His father, Bill Palmer, played seven years for the Ottawa Rough Riders.[6] His mother, Susan, was a prominent fashion and print model, co-founder of Barrett Palmer Models and former owner of International Top Models, a modeling agency and training centre located in Ottawa which became MIM Model International Management.[7]
Palmer often alternated playing time with quarterback Doug Johnson, and, later, with quarterback Rex Grossman. As a senior, he was selected as one of the team captains and received the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award, recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage." He finished his four-year college career with 3,755 passing yards.[10]
Palmer was selected by the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (125th overall pick) of the 2001 NFL draft,[14] and he played for the Giants from 2001 until he was cut before the start of the 2005 season.[15] As a Giants quarterback, he spent most of his NFL career as a backup behind starter Kerry Collins.[16] In 2002, Palmer played in two games. The following season, Palmer played in six games, starting three.[15] Palmer was the second Canadian (after Mark Rypien of the Washington Redskins) to start at quarterback in the NFL.[17]
After a four-year stint as a backup quarterback, he was cut on September 3, 2005, by the Giants. He had entered the summer 2005 training camp as the backup to Eli Manning, but found himself odd-man-out when the Giants went with Tim Hasselbeck at number two and Jared Lorenzen at number three QB.[18]
Attempting to locate another opportunity to stay in the NFL, Palmer worked out with the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers on November 1, 2005, as injuries plagued their quarterbacks Alex Smith and Ken Dorsey.[17][19] Dorsey and Smith returned from injury three weeks later, and Palmer was released without having played a down.[20] Palmer was re-signed by the 49ers in March 2006 during the off-season, but was released on August 29, 2006, toward the end of training camp.[20][21]
Canadian Football League
After leaving the NFL, he looked to the Canadian Football League for employment. Palmer had been drafted 15th overall by the Montreal Alouettes in the 2001 CFL Draft.[22] His rights were still held by Montreal; however, the Ottawa Renegades tried to acquire the Ottawa native as their top quarterback in September 2005, and Palmer expressed interest in playing for his home town.[23]
On September 11, 2006, the Montreal Alouettes signed him to their developmental roster.[22] Palmer did not dress for a game with Montreal. He retired from the CFL before the start of the 2007 season to pursue a broadcasting career.[24]
In 2004, Palmer was the first professional athlete to appear on The Bachelor television program and the first non-American Bachelor. During the first rose ceremony, Palmer called the name Katie in error, meaning to say Karen. After consulting with host Chris Harrison, Palmer offered a rose to both contestants.[25] He eventually selected Jessica Bowlin, but their courtship lasted for only a few months after the end of the show.[26][27] He would return as host of the 26th season, a role which he also filled on the 19th season of The Bachelorette.[28] Palmer also hosted Bachelor In Paradise, Season 8.[29] He is currently host of The Bachelor franchises.[30] This includes The Golden Bachelor, the first season of which aired in Fall of 2023.
On May 24, 2007, Palmer announced his retirement from the Canadian Football League to pursue a broadcasting career with Fox.[31] He joined ESPN in 2007.[32] Palmer worked for ESPN as a studio analyst on College Football Live and ABC telecasts, and frequently appeared with fellow Canadian John Saunders until 2017.[32] He was a game analyst on ESPN Thursday Night College football games. He was also co-host on The Palmer and Pollack Show on ESPNU with former Georgia defensive end, David Pollack.[32][33]
On March 12, 2014, ESPN named Palmer and Brent Musburger as the lead game announcers for the forthcoming SEC Network.[34]
Palmer was also New York correspondent for CTV's entertainment news program, eTalk, covering both sports and entertainment events, including the Super Bowl and the 79th and 80th Academy Awards.[35]
In September 2018, Palmer began doing commercials as a spokesman for retail furniture chain Rooms To Go.[42] He also became host of The Proposal on ABC.
On August 14, 2020, the producers of DailyMailTV announced that for the show's fourth season, Thomas Roberts was replacing Palmer.[43]
In October 2023, he became the spokesman for Avocados from Mexico.[46]
Personal life
Palmer is married to Brazilian photographer and model Emely Fardo. They met in a boxing class in 2017 and married in Connecticut in 2020. After pandemic restrictions eased, they had a second wedding at Château De La Gaude, a luxury hotel in Aix-en-Provence, France in 2022. Their daughter Ella was born in January 2024.[47]
