Content to be the Arizona Cardinals’ backup
By Jim Koch
With his dream of being an NFL starter probably over Drew Stanton has settled into his backup role with the Arizona Cardinals
For a short time back in 2013, Drew Stanton might’ve believed the Arizona Cardinals were making his dream come true. New head coach Bruce Arians was seeking a quarterback, ideally someone familiar with his complex offense. Stanton got the call, and was given the reigns, his first starting assignment since entering the NFL.
Arians had coached the strong-armed signal-caller in Indianapolis the year before. Chuck Pagano had become ill, and Arizona’s new coach guided the Colts for the remainder of the 2012 campaign. Stanton served as a veteran backup to Andrew Luck, the team’s rookie phenom, so he was well-versed in Arians’ scheme.
Just three weeks later, the Michigan State product was relegated back to backup status. General manager Steve Keim traded for the experienced Carson Palmer, and he was named the new starter. Stanton would once again be holding the clipboard.
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Four years later, Palmer is entering his fifth year as the Cardinals’ number-one guy, and Stanton is still second on the depth chart. 2017 will be the final year of Stanton’s second stint with the organization. At the end of the season, he will have earned $14.7 million with the club.
The 32-year old filled in admirably for an injured Palmer in 2014. He kept Arizona’s playoff hopes afloat by going 5-3 as a starter before he too got hurt. In nine appearances, he completed 55.0% of his passes for 1,711 yards, with seven touchdowns and five picks.
Last year, Stanton started one game in place of a concussed Palmer in week five. Although he was far from impressive, he played just well enough to gain a victory over the putrid San Francisco 49ers. He completed just 11 of 28 attempts for a measly 124 yards and two scores, both to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
What the future holds for Stanton is unclear. There’s a possibility that both he and Palmer will both be gone at the end of 2017. Could Stanton be a bridge for a young quarterback if Palmer were to retire?
Whatever happens, Stanton has served the Cards well. While his performances weren’t always pretty, he has managed to win games for the squad when they needed them. Exactly what a backup quarterback is paid to do.