All three quarterbacks active for Arizona Cardinals against Washington Redskins
Oct 12, 2014, 6:59 PM | Updated: 7:16 pm
GLENDALE, Ariz. — And the answer is….
Yeah, we still don’t know.
The question, as it had been all week leading up to Sunday, was who would quarterback the Arizona Cardinals against Washington at University of Phoenix Stadium, which is sold out for the 88th consecutive game.
As of 90 minutes before kickoff, that decision — at least publicly — had not been made.
All three quarterbacks, however, are active, meaning Carson Palmer is in uniform for the first time since Week 1 against San Diego, the game when he injured his right throwing shoulder.
Drew Stanton, who had started each of the past three games and gone 2-1, is available as well. He passed the league’s concussion protocol on Friday after getting knocked out of the game at Denver in the third quarter.
Rookie Logan Thomas is the healthiest QB on the roster, and he very well could get his first NFL start. The fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech completed one of his eight pass attempts in relief of Stanton last week. Of course that single completion was an 81-yard touchdown to Andre Ellington.
“Honest to God, first time in 20 years, I really don’t know whose starting,” head coach Bruce Arians said following practice on Friday. “I know whichever quarterback comes out and is in the huddle, he’s going to play a great game. There’s no doubt in my mind about that.”
Arians added he would have no hesitation sending Palmer out on the field to begin the game despite more than a month of inaction.
“Mentally, he’s very, very sharp,” the second-year coach said. “He’s stayed really on top of everything that way. If you see (him at practice) he’s always behind, dropping, taking his steps or getting his reads, so he’s mentally, he’s getting every rep. It’s just the physical part of it.”
The Cardinals’ seven inactive players include running back Marion Grice, linebackers Desmond Bishop, Thomas Keiser and Glenn Carson, plus defensive tackle Bruce Gaston, tight end Troy Niklas and defensive end Calais Campbell.
Carson and Niklas are both sidelined by ankle injuries, while Campbell is dealing with an MCL strain that may cost him another week or two.
The other four Cardinals are healthy scratches.
