Arizona Cardinals utilized several passers during the 2010’s

The overall performance out of the quarterback position was wildly inconsistent for the Arizona Cardinals during the 2010’s

Over the past decade, the Arizona Cardinals were supplied with some extremely inconsistent play out of their starting quarterbacks. Throughout the 2010’s, the organization went on what can best be described as a rollercoaster ride with their signal-callers. The Cards front office made valiant attempts to alleviate the problem, but received mixed results in return for their efforts.

Arizona was given bad news back in January of 2010 when the great Kurt Warner announced that he was retiring. Unfortunately, the club was ill-prepared for that particular scenario. The Cardinals tried to replace Warner that fall with the likes of Derek Anderson, John Skelton and Max Hall, but the trio was completely inept.

The following year, former Cards general manager Rod Graves orchestrated the trade that brought Kevin Kolb to the squad. The former Philadelphia Eagles backup was a disappointment, however, and was replaced by Skelton midway through the 2011 campaign. Skelton managed to win five out of the seven games he started for the team, but his 68.9 quarterback rating was plain awful.

In 2012, Arizona used no less than four passers throughout the season. The Redbirds got off to a fast start with Kolb after he was given another chance, but the Texas native just couldn’t stay healthy. Skelton, Ryan Lindley and Brian Hoyer all started matchups for the franchise after Kolb was sidelined.

A savior came to town in the spring of 2013, when general manager Steve Keim worked out a deal for veteran Carson Palmer. The longtime starter of the Cincinnati Bengals stayed with the Cardinals for five years, and led his teammates to the NFC Championship following the 2015 campaign. Palmer posted a sparkling 38-21-1 record during his days as the Cards main man.

After Palmer retired in January of 2018, Keim signed journeyman Sam Bradford to be the new number-one guy. The former first-overall draft selection was dreadful that fall, and was benched after just four contests. Rookie Josh Rosen was inserted into the lineup, but took his lumps playing for one of the worst offensive coaching staffs in the league.

Last year, the Cards jumped at an opportunity to grab Kyler Murray with the draft’s number one pick. The former University of Oklahoma star went on to be named the Offensive Rookie of the Year after a strong performance in 2019. That accomplishment has Arizona management believing that a bright future lies ahead for the talented Murray.

The Cardinals experienced quarterback play from all ends of the spectrum during the 2010’s. Thankfully, the trade for Palmer stabilized the position for half of the decade. With a bit of good fortune, the Cards will get even more out of Murray going forward.