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Arizona Cardinals acquire one of preseason’s hottest passers

By Jim Koch

ORCHARD PARK, NY - AUGUST 29: Kyle Sloter #1 of the Minnesota Vikings looks to throw a pass during the first half of a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on August 29, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - AUGUST 29: Kyle Sloter #1 of the Minnesota Vikings looks to throw a pass during the first half of a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on August 29, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /
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Quarterback Kyle Sloter’s impressive performance during the exhibition season caught the attention of the Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals obviously liked what they saw back on August 24th. It’s now apparent that head coach Kliff Kingsbury and the club’s management came away impressed with one of the Minnesota Vikings’ backup quarterbacks that day. That particular signal-caller became available just one week later, prompting Cards general manager Steve Keim to pounce on the opportunity to sign him.

Arizona’s decision to add Kyle Sloter to their practice squad is an interesting one. The team had already acquired two young passers this offseason, first-overall draft pick Kyler Murray and undrafted free agent Drew Anderson. Could the pursuit of Sloter be an indication that the Cardinals are hedging their bet a bit on the overpromoted Murray?

Sure, that statement may sound a tad outrageous. After all, Murray has not been given a fair chance to show what he can do at the pro level yet. But the fact that the Cards would place a second quarterback on their practice squad, when they had already assigned Anderson to it, is still somewhat intriguing.

Sloter’s performance last weekend versus Arizona last weekend may have been the sole reason why. The 25-year old went 6 of 7 for 102 yards and a score, and did so in impressive fashion. Granted, Sloter’s success came primarily against defensive coordinator Vance Joseph‘s second-teamers, but the gunslinger showed vast potential nonetheless.

The outstanding outing versus the Cardinals was only one part of what Sloter was able to accomplish during this year’s preseason. The former undrafted free agent of the Denver Broncos completed 39 of his 51 pass attempts for 443 yards and four touchdowns for Minnesota. Sloter posted a magnificent 120.0 passer rating during the four games, and also registered an eye-popping 76.5 completion percentage.

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Whether the Cards pursuit of Sloter shows a lack of confidence in what Murray will be able to do in the NFL is something that’s up for debate. Perhaps Keim and his cohorts are simply hoping that they’ll be able to get something back for the talented youngster by trading him somewhere down the line. Either way, Sloter’s presence within the Arizona organization is something that may be worth paying attention to in the near future.

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