Colt McCoy signs a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
Back on January 3rd, the playoff hopes of the 2020 Arizona Cardinals went up in smoke. A first-quarter ankle injury suffered by Cards quarterback Kyler Murray led to a heartbreaking defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. Arizona second-stringer Chris Streveler struggled mightily when pressed into action, and the signal-caller’s inability to move the “Air Raid” offense prevented the Cardinals from reaching the postseason.
On Tuesday, the Cards front office made a move that should’ve been made last year. Colt McCoy, a veteran with 44 NFL appearances under his belt, was brought to the desert to be Murray’s backup in 2021. Granted, McCoy’s professional career is nothing worth bragging about, but his experience alone makes him a far better option than Streveler was for the squad.
McCoy entered the league back in 2010 as a third-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns. The 6’1, 212 pounder spent three campaigns performing in front of the “Dawg Pound”, and was credited with 21 starts. In his 24 overall appearances, McCoy completed 58.3% of his throws for 4,388 yards and 21 touchdowns, and also added 363 yards and another score on the ground for the Browns.
In April of 2013, McCoy was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, but attempted just one measly pass during his time with that organization. The former University of Texas star entered free agency the next offseason, and was inked to a one-year contract by the Washington Football Team. McCoy would spend the next six seasons in the nation’s capital, accumulating 1,679 passing yards, 140 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns in 12 games (seven starts) for the Football Team.
Last fall, McCoy agreed to terms with the New York Giants on a one-year deal. The New Mexico native saw action in four matchups (two starts) for the “G-men”, one of which was an impressive upset victory over the Seattle Seahawks in week 13. During that triumph, McCoy completed 13 of his 22 pass attempts for 105 yards and a touchdown toss to running back Alfred Morris.
Besides his fill-in capability, McCoy can also serve as a mentor to the youthful Murray. This past fall, the Cardinals were ill-prepared for an injury to the new face of the franchise. Rest assured, the team is in much better hands now with the 34-year old McCoy waiting in the wings.