"Everybody knows what this league's about," Kolb said Monday at the team's voluntary workout. "If you've been in it for a while you understand that you have to fight for your job every single day and every single year.

"It's management's job here and every organization to make sure that they do their best to improve every position, and in my mind it's their right to go look wherever they need to look."

However, that does not mean he was necessarily OK with how it all went down. Kolb said there were a few things that could have been handled differently while the team was trying to woo Manning, at least in terms of communication.

"We've discussed those and look forward to the future and win a lot of football games together," he said.

Kolb did say that he did end up speaking with head coach Ken Whisenhunt, which made things better.

"He called me right off the bat, and of course I respect that as well," Kolb said. "That's the way you get through things. You can't get your feelings hurt in this business, it's just the way it is.

"Everybody's going to be held accountable at some point and you just can't get your feelings hurt. And I didn't. I didn't take it as that and I won't ever take it as that."

Kolb said it is all now past him, and he is looking forward to improving and winning a lot of games with the team.

That process started, at least somewhat officially, Monday at the Cardinals' Tempe training facility, where a motivated Kolb was working out in hopes of improving on what could only be classified as a disappointing first season in the desert last year.

Combine that with the knowledge that the team was hoping to replace him, and you have a QB who is not lacking motivation.

"You get fueled by a lot of things," he said. "Sure, [Manning] will add some sort of spark, but I'm fighting for my job anyways."

Indeed he is, as head coach Ken Whisenhunt said at the conclusion of the 2011 season that Kolb would be battling John Skelton for the starting job. Skelton, you may remember, started seven games last season (and played in 8), coming away with six victories.

Kolb knows the Cardinals gave up a lot to acquire him last summer, and though he was not able to prove much in his first year with the club, he now has a second chance to show they made the right decision.

"Look, nobody wants it more than me than to come in here and play great and to win a lot of football games and go win a Super Bowl," he said. "That's just the way I approach things; I don't approach it like I've got something to prove to fans or other people that are out there."