ARIZONA CARDINALS

ESPN Insider touts Arizona Cardinals’ backup QB situation

Sep 25, 2015, 3:05 PM | Updated: Sep 26, 2015, 8:46 am

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton (5) looks to throw against the Kansas City Chiefs during...

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton (5) looks to throw against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

When you buy an insurance policy, you want to make sure you’ve got a good one all while crossing your fingers that you don’t have to use it.

Backup quarterbacks in the NFL are pretty much the same. You want a guy that can play, but you really hope he never takes off his baseball cap and puts down his clipboard.

The Arizona Cardinals had to rely on that insurance policy a little too much in 2014. Starter Carson Palmer missed two games with a shoulder injury early in the season and then missed the final seven regular season games and a Wild Card playoff game against Carolina.

Backup Drew Stanton started eight games in Palmer’s absence, but he went down with a knee injury of his own in a Week 15 win over the St. Louis Rams. But in his first real NFL game action since 2010, the former Michigan State Spartan played well enough to lead the Cardinals to a 5-3 record.

It’s that experience that has people more confident about the team’s direction should Palmer be injured again this season.

ESPN NFL insider Field Yates ranked the league’s top backup quarterback situations, and put the Cardinals and Stanton at third overall.

We saw extended action from Drew Stanton last season when Carson Palmer went down with an injury. It was far from perfect (55 percent completion percentage, 7-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio), but the Cardinals’ running game was anemic down the stretch. The fit matters here, as Stanton is the sturdy pocket passer coach Bruce Arians covets.

The Cardinals also added veteran Matt Barkley in a trade with Philadelphia at the tail end of the preseason.

The only teams Yates ranked ahead of the Cardinals were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Mike Glennon) and the Carolina Panthers (Derek Anderson). Philadelphia, New England, Kansas City, Denver, Tennessee, Indianapolis and Cleveland rounded out the list.

Presented By
Western Governors University

Arizona Cardinals

Desmond Ridder runs the rock against Houston...

Tyler Drake

Desmond Ridder eager to remind fellow Cardinals QB Clayton Tune about college wins

Cardinals quarterback Desmond Ridder may not know Kyler Murray just yet, but he and Clayton Tune go way back.

21 hours ago

LSU's Malik Nabers, a top NFL Draft prospect...

Kevin Zimmerman

NFL Draft: Malik Nabers to visit Arizona Cardinals after LSU pro day, per report

Top NFL Draft receiver prospect Malik Nabers will reportedly visit with the Arizona Cardinals after the LSU Tigers' pro day.

1 day ago

Desmond Ridder looks to pass...

Tyler Drake

QB1 or not, Desmond Ridder keeping starter mentality with Cardinals

New Cardinals QB Desmond Ridder is focused on using the good and the bad from his first two seasons rather than listening to outside chatter.

2 days ago

Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray look on...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon: Kyler Murray’s ‘best football is ahead of him’

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon believes Kyler Murray will continue taking the necessary steps forward with a full offseason of work.

2 days ago

Kyler Murray chats with Jonathan Gannon...

Arizona Sports

Arizona Cardinals will face ‘really good’ AFC opponent for joint preseason practices

The Arizona Cardinals expect to hold joint practices in the preseason against a really good AFC opponent, in the words of Jonathan Gannon.

2 days ago

Patriots and Cardinals kick off return in 2020...

Associated Press

NFL owners approve new kickoff rules for 2024

NFL kickoff rules will take on a hybrid approach similar to the XFL. League owners approved the new measures Tuesday.

2 days ago

ESPN Insider touts Arizona Cardinals’ backup QB situation