Cardinals backup QB competition between Hundley, Streveler undecided
Sep 1, 2020, 11:12 AM
Quarterback Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals throws a pass over head coach Kliff Kingsbury as backups Chris Streveler and Brett Hundley look on during a NFL team training camp at State Farm Stadium on August 20, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Kyler Murray is a given, but what’s behind him at quarterback on the Arizona Cardinals’ depth chart is apparently not.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Tuesday that he has not named a backup quarterback between Brett Hundley and Chris Streveler.
“Still working through that,” Kingsbury said. “Both guys have had their moments and we want to continue to evaluate through this week and go from there.
“Both talented, athletic guys that I think can come in and allow us to continue to run our offense like we would through Kyler.”
The non-answer could be taken as a sign that Streveler has a chance to knock off Hundley for the job, but it’s more likely more about roster spots and how Kingsbury shuffles roles.
Can they keep both? Is Streveler capable of manning the base offense as well as Hundley, or is he best suited for creative packages to enhance the offense?
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Barring a bad training camp performance, Hundley is the favorite to be a traditional backup with four years and 18 games of NFL experience under his belt. He played well last preseason and in three regular season appearances, completing 5 of 11 passes for 49 yards and adding 41 rushing yards on seven carries.
Most of that production came while holding off the Seahawks on Dec. 22 after Murray went down with a hamstring injury in Seattle.
Streveler, an NFL rookie, has two years on his pro resume with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League.
A bigger body with straight-line speed, he profiles as a package-specific quarterback who could be thrown into gameplans around the starter in Murray.
Last year, Streveler completed 67% of his passes, splitting time between starting and playing as the “wedge package” quarterback for the Blue Bombers. He was utilized often in both roles, throwing for 1,564 total yards with eight touchdowns to 14 interceptions. On 127 attempts, Streveler rushed for 726 yards (5.7 yards per carry) with six touchdowns.
Since arriving in Arizona, Streveler has worked with the special teams unit and could provide everyday contributions there, which could give him more value as a third quarterback on the 53-man roster.
The NFL cut deadline is on Saturday afternoon.
