Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown says the team is not trading quarterback Carson Palmer.

"We are not trading Carson", Brown said according to the team's official Twitter feed.

ESPN reported on Sunday that Palmer will request a trade this off-season. Brown says the request was made, and denied, last week.

"He is key to our plans, he’s central to us," Brown said via Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He was told that and that we count on him going forward. He was told that we are not in a position to trade him."

In 16 starts this season, Palmer has completed 61.8% of his 586 pass attempts for 3,970 yards with 26 touchdowns, but tossed 20 interceptions, five of which were returned for touchdowns.

Palmer, 31, has four seasons remaining on his current contract, which will pay him $11.5 million in base salary in 2011.

Brown also disclosed that the team will not be adding former Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress.

Childress had dinner with Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis last Thursday night. Lewis suggested earlier last week that changes could be coming to his offensive coaching staff.