In the spring of 2004, Palmer appeared on The Bachelor television program, in which he was given his choice of eligible single women. During the course of his Bachelor installment, Jesse whittled his field of 25 eligible ladies down to two. Ultimately, the NFL New York Giants back-up quarterback made his final pass to Jessica, a 22-year-old California law student. Though he didn’t propose, Jesse asked Jessica to "chase all your dreams" with him by her side. He then presented her with a one-way, first class ticket to New York City. After the show’s finale, Jessica opted not to relocate and the couple has since been trying to make a long-distance relationship work
In a statement released exclusively to Extra (which is quickly becoming the Bachelor breakup announcement vehicle of choice, no doubt due to the common corporate ownership that both programs share) Jesse said, "Jessica and I shared an incredible romantic journey on the show that began with a friendship that remains strong today. We simply realized that, individually, our next steps take us in different directions."