Cardinals QB spot will open season

The Arizona Cardinals quarterback situation in the
upcoming offseason will be similar to the story witnessed
in 2011.

“We’ve got a lot of things to go through in looking at our
season,” head coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “I think that one
thing has been consistent: We’re always going to play the
best player, the player that gives us the chance to win.”

The John Skelton-Kevin Kolb QB competition will be back in
full swing once Kolb has made a complete recovery from his
concussion. Though Skelton led the team to more wins than
Kolb in 2011, the starting position is up for grabs with
no favoritism in tow.

“I would hope that every player would think he has to earn
[the starting position],” Wheisenhunt said. “If a guy is a
better player — we’ve been pretty consistent, I think you
can go back and look at all the spots — that’s the way
we’ve operated, no matter what the situation has been.”

Skelton got off to a slow start when he took over for Kolb
staying reserved and quiet off the field, but he soon got
comfortable enough to control the game. He finished the
season with a 54.9 percent completion percentage and threw
for 1,913 yards.

“Not a lot seems to faze John, but he’s gotten a little
feisty on the field here lately coming off, which is a
good sign,” Whisenhunt said. “He’s talked about plays or
‘I should have hit that!’ or, you know, gotten a little
bit emotional. That’s a side of him that’s been exciting
to see.”

Whisenhunt even threw Richard Bartel in the mix for
contenders for the position, though he’s easily third on
the depth chart now.

“I’m excited about all three of our quarterbacks. I’ve
seen things from them this year that gives me a lot of
comfort going into next year as opposed to where we were a
year ago,” Whisenhunt said. “We’ve got a lot of things yet
to evaluate, but I’m pleased with where we are at that
position.”

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