Jesse Palmer, born 5 October 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, is a Canadian NFL quarterback and reality television star. As a backup quarterback for the New York Giants, Jesse Palmer is the first professional athlete to appear on The Bachelor.
Jesse Palmer played college football at the University of Florida where he alternated playing time with quarterback Doug Johnson.
Although Jesse Palmer has started a few games due to injuries to Giants former starting quarterback Kerry Collins, Jesse Palmer has generally spent his entire NFL career as a backup. In the spring of 2004, Jesse Palmer appeared on The Bachelor television program, in which he was given his choice of eligible single women, eventually selecting Jessica Bowlin. However, as is common with relationships forged through reality television shows, Jesse Palmer's and Bowlin's courtship lasted for only a few months after the end of the show.
Jesse Palmer's future with the Giants is uncertain; the offseason additions of quarterbacks Eli Manning (a first-round draft pick and brother to Peyton Manning) and Kurt Kittner already on the roster, and the recent addition of former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner, led to speculation that Jesse Palmer would be cut from the team after training camp. However, Kittner was later released, and Palmer remains on the team as a 3rd string quarterback.
