FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017 file photo, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer answers a question during a news conference after practice at the team facility in Tempe, Ariz. Carson Palmer is retiring after 15 NFL seasons. Palmer, who turned 38 last week, made the announcement in an open letter released by the Cardinals, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017 file photo, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer answers a question during a news conference after practice at the team facility in Tempe, Ariz. Carson Palmer is retiring after 15 NFL seasons. Palmer, who turned 38 last week, made the announcement in an open letter released by the Cardinals, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File) Credit: Ross D. Franklin

Phoenix — Coach Bruce Arians once said he and quarterback Carson Palmer would ride away into the sunset together like a pair of old desert cowboys.

Well, they have.

Palmer announced his retirement after 15 NFL seasons on Tuesday in an open letter released by the Arizona Cardinals, one day after Arians said he was leaving his long coaching career.

“Over the years, I’ve had teammates who decided to hang it up and I would ask them how they knew when it was time to walk away,” the letter began. “The answer was almost always the same: You just know. For me, it is time now. Why? Quite simply, I just know.”

Palmer, who turned 38 last week, missed the last nine games of what would be his final season with a broken left arm.

He called his long professional career “the most incredible experience of my life.”

Palmer and Arians were together the past five seasons, and they included some of the best days of the quarterback’s career.

Standing 6-foot-5 with a remarkably strong arm, Palmer was a Heisman Trophy winner at USC and the No. 1 overall pick by Cincinnati in 2002. He threw for 46,247 yards, 12th-most in NFL history, in a career with the Bengals, Oakland and Arizona.

Bengals Extend Coach Lewis

Cincinnati — Coach Marvin Lewis got a two-year contract extension on Tuesday, providing him yet two more chances to try to get the Cincinnati Bengals the playoff victory that has eluded him for 15 seasons.

The agreement came after a second straight losing season and two days of discussions with owner Mike Brown. Lewis has the second-longest active coaching tenure in the NFL, behind Bill Belichick’s 18 seasons with New England.

Unlike Belichick, who has won five Super Bowls and made two other appearances in the title game, Lewis is 0-7 in the playoffs, the worst coaching record in NFL history. The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season, the sixth-longest streak of futility in league history.

Paul Brown Stadium was half-empty for the final home game, an indication fans had given up on the team and were hoping for change.

Dalton’s Foundation Flooded By Domations From Bills Fans

Cincinnati — Giddy Buffalo fans are making a surge in donations to Andy Dalton’s foundation, their way of thanking the Bengals quarterback for his role in the Bills’ long-awaited playoff appearance.

Dalton’s foundation reported on Tuesday it has received more than $170,000 in donations since the Bengals beat the Ravens 31-27 on Sunday. Dalton threw a 49-yard touchdown pass with 44 seconds left to eliminate the Ravens and open a spot for the Bills.

The Bills got the final AFC wild-card berth and ended their 17-year postseason drought, the longest among North America’s four major professional sports.

Hall of Fame Finalists Named

New York — Star linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher are among four first-time eligible former players selected among the 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018.

Receiver Randy Moss and guard Steve Hutchinson also made the cut to the finals in their first year of eligibility.

They join Tony Boselli, Isaac Bruce, Brian Dawkins, Alan Faneca, Joe Jacoby, Edgerrin James, Ty Law, John Lynch, Kevin Mawae, Terrell Owens and Everson Walls for consideration.

Lions Begin Coach Interviews

Detroit — The Detroit Lions have interviewed both of their current coordinators for their vacant head coaching job.

The Lions announced the interviews with defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter on Tuesday, a day after coach Jim Caldwell was fired.

Austin was Detroit’s defensive coordinator for Caldwell’s entire four-year tenure. Cooter was Detroit’s quarterbacks coach in 2014 and was promoted to offensive coordinator during the 2015 season.

Austin was previously a secondary coach for the Baltimore Ravens and has also coached defensive backs for the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. Cooter served in various roles for the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts.

Detroit has also signed safety Stefan McClure to a reserve-future contract.

___

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL .