Crowded Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks room could spell the end of Colt McCoy

The 36-year-old quarterback could be the odd man out when the Arizona Cardinals finalize their depth chart this coming summer.

When the Arizona Cardinals open the regular-season this coming September, they will more than likely do so without starting quarterback Kyler Murray. The squad's two-time Pro Bowler tore his ACL last December, and is expected to miss an undetermined amount of games. Which of the Cards' remaining signal-callers will take the reigns until Murray can return to full health?

At the moment, veteran Colt McCoy is the odds-on favorite to be the fill-in for Murray. The 36-year-old has been a breath of fresh air for Arizona since he came to the desert back in 2021. It's not yet known, however, if the club's new decision-makers feel the same way about McCoy as the previous regime did.

Two years ago, McCoy did surprisingly well as the Cardinals starter when Murray was sidelined for three weeks with an ankle injury. The backup wasn't great during a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers, but his outstanding outings against two divisional foes proved his value. McCoy posted a 119.4 rating during a victory over the San Francisco 49ers, and the 112.9 grade he received during a Redbirds win over the Seattle Seahawks was just as impressive.

Unfortunately, McCoy didn't provide the same magic in his four appearances for the Cards last season. The 6 foot 1, 212 pounder did hold up well during a Week 10 triumph over the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, McCoy's play during defeats to the 49ers, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos was nothing to write home about.

Several Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks will compete to be Kyler Murray's stand-in 2023

This time around, McCoy will have to hold off plenty of competition to assume the starting role for Arizona while Murray is on the shelf. David Blough, a late-season pickup from 2022, was brought back into the mix this past March. The 6 foot 1, 205 pounder performed better than expected during starts against the Atlanta Falcons and 49ers last January.

One month after the organization inked Blough to a one-year contract, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort added yet another passer. Jeff Driskel, a 30-year-old journeyman, also agreed to a one-year deal. The 6 foot 4, 235 pounder has amassed a 1-9 record as a starter during stints with the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Broncos, and Houston Texans.

If all of that isn't enough, the Cards front office made things even more confusing when they selected University of Houston QB Clayton Tune during last month's draft. The confident 6 foot 3, 220 pounder is already winning over many members of the fanbase. In fact, there are some who believe that Tune could be utilized early on, and become Arizona's version of San Francisco signal-caller Brock Purdy.

Where all of this leaves McCoy is anybody's guess. Does management really want to pay $5 million to the aging veteran if there's a less-expensive alternative waiting in the wings? Only time will tell who will lead the Cardinals offense until Murray is ready to return in 2023.

(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)