Larry Fitzgerald helped lead the Arizona Cardinals to a Super Bowl and then spent several seasons as a great player on bad teams.

The Cardinals are now in first place in the NFC West while Fitzgerald's production has decreased dramatically.

“I always keep it in perspective how fortunate and blessed not only me but everyone in this locker room is,” Fitzgerald said, via Darren Urban of the team’s official website. “Not getting enough targets? Where I grew up we called those ‘champagne problems.’ This is my job and I love it, but I also put it in its proper place.”

Andre Ellington, however, is the only member of the Cardinals with more receptions.

“We all care about our touches and looks, don’t get me wrong,” Fitzgerald said. “We just don’t put our touches and looks in front of what we are trying to accomplish as a team. There is a distinct difference. You are playing ball your whole life, you are in the NFL, you’ve been ‘The Man’ your whole life, so you have to put that aside and focus on what is best for your team. I think everyone has a good grasp of that.”

The Arizona Cardinals and Carson Palmer have opened up contract talks and there's optimism that a deal may be completed before the end of the season.

"I won't get into specific points of the negotiations but we've had some dialogue with Dave Dunn," said general manager Steve Keim. "He (Palmer) has done a great job for us."

Palmer signed a three-year deal in 2013 with the Cardinals, but the final year in 2015 voids if he's still on the roster five business days after this year's Super Bowl.

The final year of the deal allowed the Cardinals to prorate Palmer's $6 million signing bonus over three years instead of two.

Palmer turns 35 in December.

Carson Palmer enjoyed his time with the Oakland Raiders, but was frustrated with the timing.

Palmer came to the Raiders in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals shortly after the death of Al Davis.

"I loved it," Palmer said. "There's something special about being a Raider. There's just something different and it's different than any other team and every guy that plays for the Raiders says that. So, it was an awesome experience, just timing didn't work out with everything that was going on with the salary cap and all the crazy turnover and all that. 

"There was so much chaos. There were so many things with the roster that needed to change. It was just bad timing." 

A troublesome shoulder nerve for Carson Palmer was "woken up" by a muscle specialist over the weekend.

Greg Roskopf, the founder and CEO of Muscle Activation Techniques, made "significant progress" during a weekend of treatment on Palmer, who has been out since Week 2 with the nerve issue.

Palmer was able to throw 40 to 50 passes on Tuesday.

Palmer's chance of returning Sunday remains very much up in the air. 

Drew Stanton or Logan Thomas would start for the Arizona Cardinals if Palmer is unable to play. Stanton is currently on concussion protocol.

Jonathan Dwyer pleaded not guilty to charges that he assaulted his wife during two arguments in July at their Phoenix apartment.

Dwyer appeared at an arraignment hearing Monday in Maricopa County Superior Court. He is charged with felony aggravated assault and eight misdemeanors, including assault.

Investigators say Dwyer broke his wife's nose with a head-butt during a July 21 argument and engaged in a dispute the following day in which he punched his wife and threw a shoe at his 17-month-old son, who wasn't injured.

He has denied that he committed assault.

Calais Campbell injured his knee during the Arizona Cardinals' loss to the Denver Broncos in what was a dirty play.

Julius Thomas was called for an illegal chop block on the play, a 15-yard penalty which negated a touchdown. Ryan Clady worked in tandem with Thomas on the play.

Bruce Arians said Campbell has a sprained MCL and will miss two to four weeks.

"That was the dirtiest play I've seen in 37 years," Bruce Arians said, calling it a "premeditated high-low." 

Carson Palmer saw a spine specialist in regards to his shoulder injury, which has kept him off the field for Weeks 2 and 3.

Palmer indicated "there is no structural damage to the shoulder," there will be no need for surgery and "it's not career-threatening, it's not season-threatening or anything like that."

Palmer said he has learned how "finicky" nerves can be.

"This is just something you have to continue to work and when it's ready, it's ready, so we're going to continue with the same rehab process."

Drew Stanton will start for the Arizona Cardinals for as long as Palmer remains unavailable.

According to Fox Sports' Jack MacGruder, Palmer's nerve issue is rare -- a "one in 100,000" kind of deal, and is mostly connected to automobile accidents.