With an aging Colt McCoy and an injured Kyler Murray on the roster, the Arizona Cardinals may turn to free agency to find and acquire a stopgap.
The Arizona Cardinals are in a strange position. For one, they are not a quarterback-needy team in a traditional sense, since they have an elite talent in Kyler Murray. Unfortunately for them, Murray may not be cleared when Week 1 rolls around, and backup Colt McCoy won’t be enough to keep this team afloat short-term.
But there are free agents out there capable of getting the job done. Each of the players listed below have spent most of their respective careers as backups. But they have also shown they are capable of starting and playing well for an extended period. Let’s talk about them.
5 – Mason Rudolph
Career Statistics – Record: 5-4-1, Completion Percentage: 61.5%, Yards: 2,366, Touchdowns: 16, Interceptions: 11, Rating: 80.9
Mason Rudolph’s statistics have not been great, and he’s seen limited playing time since he started 10 games in 2019. However, he has a winning record as a starter and has shown he can be effective with talent around him.
Fortunately, the Arizona Cardinals got some talent for Rudolph to step in and play a decent half-season if that is indeed the case. He’s by no means the best player on this list, but he’s also by no means the worst UFA quarterback out there.
4 – Drew Lock
Career Statistics – Record: 8-13, Completion Percentage: 59.3%, Yards: 4,740, Touchdowns: 25, Interceptions: 20, Rating: 79.5
While Drew Lock’s career statistics aren’t as good as Mason Rudolph’s, his remarkable sample size of games in 2019 showcases what the soon-to-be fifth-year quarterback can do. No, he’s looked nothing like that since, but with a “redhshirt” season in Seattle, it could have done dividends for the former second-round pick.
Plus, Lock served as Geno Smith’s backup. Another former second-round selection whose career looked over before last season. Chances are, Lock picked up a thing or two from watching Smith resurrect his career.