While most of the NFL world is entrenched in the ongoing battle between the players and owners, there’s a more personal battle going on in Cincinnati right now between one player and one owner.

Carson Palmer wants to be traded from the Bengals or vows to retire. But Cincinnati owner Mike Brown reiterated on Monday night that his quarterback is not available and does “not see equal value” on the trade market.

“I want him back,” Brown said. “I haven’t talked to any other team about him. I have no plans to trade him.”

Things can obviously change in a hurry in the NFL. One minute a team says they have no desire to trade a player, the next minute said player is on a plane heading for a new destination. But Brown seems serious in his desire not to trade the 31-year-old starter, even though the draft is coming up in a little over a month. One would think that if the Bengals were to trade Palmer once the CBA mess clears up, they would need to draft a signal caller in one of the first three rounds next month.

If they do draft a quarterback, Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert would be a logical choice at No. 4 and Florida State’s Christian Ponder is an option in the second round. In fact, Ponder might be a better overall fit for Jay Gruden’s West Coast Offense because his best attribute is his accuracy, which is an obvious requirement for a WCO quarterback.

No matter which direction Brown chooses, he better have a game plan. Because if Palmer sticks to his guns and retires and the Bengals go into the 2011 season with Jordan Palmer, they’re going to be in some serious trouble.