Bruce Arians would be comfortable with Gabbert starting in 2018
Nov 27, 2017, 4:23 PM | Updated: Nov 28, 2017, 12:32 pm
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Blaine Gabbert (7) warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Given Arizona Cardinals quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s track record coming into Arizona, it’s no surprise that expectations were not high for his first two starts.
With that being said, he has not only exceeded expectations, but has thrown his hat into the ring as a potential future starting quarterback for the Cardinals.
It’s quite the leap for the third-string quarterback who was called upon for the Week 11 matchup in Houston when Carson Palmer was already out and Drew Stanton’s status for the game was up in the air.
When asked how he would view Gabbert as a starter in 2018 if Carson Palmer were to retire, head coach Bruce Arians seemed fine with the idea.
“The way he’s playing right now, I’d be very, very comfortable,” he said Monday.
Gabbert is an unrestricted free agent after this season.
In two starts, Gabbert has a completion percentage of 61.1 percent for 498 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Arians said Gabbert has to show him “nothing” outside of consistent improvement.
“I’m really proud of him,” he said. “These things don’t happen – you hope they don’t happen very often when your top two guys go down, but we’re very blessed to have him, and he has taken the bull by the horns and showing us, ‘I’m a player. I can play at this level and play very high.'”
Arians is optimistic about Gabbert in a long-term scenario.
“He’s never been in the same offense two years in a row, so he can blossom,” Arians said of his upside.
What has stood out the most has been his IQ as a quarterback and Arians didn’t turn down the notion of his intelligence as a quarterback being compared to other quarterbacks he’s coached like Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning.
“To play at this level in seven offenses is not easy, and he’s had success, especially in this offense,” he said. “But yeah, he’s up there with those guys mentally with Drew (Brees) and those guys.”
Gabbert has five more games on the schedule to further his case, starting with a home game against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday.
