ESPN analyst: Brian Hoyer’s promotion says more about John Skelton

On Sunday, Brian Hoyer will become the fourth quarterback to start for the Arizona Cardinals this season, marking the first time since 2008 that a team (Cleveland Browns) has started four different players under center over a 16-game span.

While Arizona’s game against the San Francisco 49ers will be Hoyer’s first professional start, one ESPN analyst believes the move says less about the former Michigan State standout and more about John Skelton, the Cardinals’ Week 1 starter.

“I guess [the decision to start Hoyer] tells you how bad they must think of John Skelton,” ESPN analyst John Clayton told Arizona Sports 620’s Doug & Wolf Thursday. “What has happened to John Skelton?

“He was good enough to beat out Kevin Kolb for the starting job, now he is in nowhere land.”

Skelton has not played since Arizona’s historic 58-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14. In that contest, Skelton was abysmal, throwing four interceptions on 22 attempts in the first half. It didn’t help matters that the former fifth-round pick also lost a costly fumble.

In seven games this season, Skelton threw for 1,132 yards to go along with two touchdowns and nine interceptions. Skelton largely entered the 2012 season as the starting quarterback after leading Arizona to four wins in its final five games a year ago.

He was inactive for the team’s game against the Chicago Bears in Week 16, signaling just how far he’s fallen out of favor with Ken Whisenhunt.

While colleague Ron Jaworski raved about Hoyer’s potential as an NFL starter, Clayton thinks the move will be a temporary one for the Cardinals.