Lingering concussion symptoms limit Kevin Kolb

Kevin Kolb doesn’t want to shut it down for the season.

“That’s not the way this league works,” Kolb said. “That’s
not the way a competitor works.”

Those aforementioned competitive juices still burn within,
telling him he has something left to give to an Arizona
Cardinals offense that he’s grown quite at ease with this
season.

“I feel very comfortable in this offense now and when you
know you feel comfortable for a quarterback is when you
say a play or a formation and it just pops up in your head
immediately,” Kolb stated. “So, that’s what began to
happen later on this season and I look forward to the next
opportunity to get out there.”

But unfortunately for Kolb his body — or more
specifically, his mind — hasn’t been willing to cooperate
to this point.

The Cardinals biggest offseason acquisition hasn’t lived
up to the heavy hype that surrounded him coming into this
season, as Kolb has been plagued by injuries and
concussion symptoms the majority of the year. That’s left
the Cardinals to wonder what could have been if their
quarterback had stayed healthy.

Kolb underwent further evaluation — a full psyche exam —
for his concussion on Tuesday and was limited in practice
Wednesday. The results showed the Cardinals why Kolb’s
symptoms have lingered and why this concussion differs
from his previous one.

Still, Kolb has been assured by neurologists that with
rest and some time away from the game he shouldn’t suffer
any long term effects.

Backup quarterback John Skelton has filled in rather
admirably for the injured Kolb, fueling some to speculate
about Kolb’s long-term security with the Cardinals. But,
that chatter is just conjecture at this point.

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt seems content with Kolb being
the go-to guy for the Cardinals next season, acknowledging
there’s always going to be the risk of injury at the
quarterback position.

“I think we all know that, especially at that position,
the chances of guys getting through a whole season without
an injury, doesn’t happen that much,” he said.

Whisenhunt also praises the small sample size of action
he’s seen from Kolb this season — citing games against
Dallas, Carolina and Washington — as evidence of the
potential that can be built upon for next season.

“You look forward to having more time to work with him and
continue to grow as an offense,” Whisenhunt adds.

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