Is Matt Barkley here to stay with the Arizona Cardinals?

Has Matt Barkley done enough to justify the Arizona Cardinals having a third quarterback on the roster?

Fourth year quarterback Matt Barkley is currently trying to convince the coaching staff that he belongs on the roster. The former Philadelphia Eagle is essentially competing against himself for a roster spot.

Barkley’s competition, undrafted rookie Jake Coker, only played in one game this preseason against the Oakland Raiders. Coker missed the last 2 games with swelling in his knee and was waived earlier today.

As of now, Barkley is the third quarterback. But time will tell whether or not Arizona chooses to carry three quarterbacks into the regular season. To his credit, Barkley has steadily improved his performance game by game.

Against the Raiders, Barkley only completed 8 out of 24 passes for 121 yards along with 1 interception in his first game suiting up for the Cardinals. It was obvious that he had some rust, and threw a costly pick in the red zone. However, Barkley still made some good throws, notably this pass to Jaxon Shipley.

The following week against the San Diego Chargers, Arizona’s offense struggled to move the ball. After three scoreless quarters, Barkley was able to lead the Cardinals to their only score of the game. Playing the entire second half, Barkley completed 10 out of 15 passes for 85 yards.

Likewise, Barkley was able to continue his momentum against the Houston Texans this past Sunday. Down 21 at the half, Barkley threw two second half touchdowns to bring the Cardinals within 7. Ultimately, the comeback fell short as Barkley’s pass was tipped into the hands of a Houston defensive back in the closing minutes of the game.

With Jake Coker now out of the picture, Barkley is going to play the entire game against the Denver Broncos this Thursday. Moreover, this will be Barkley’s last chance to cement his case to be part of the 53 man roster.

All things considered, do you think Matt Barkley should be kept or be cut?