Carson Palmer is getting towards the end of his career, but Cardinals coach Bruce Arians says that he might already have his quarterback of the future on the roster.
“Short-term, I’d be very comfortable if [Blaine Gabbert] had to play for us. Long-term, if he continues at this rate, he could be a starter,” the coach said (Twitter link via Mike Jurecki of 98.7 FM).
Arians isn’t the only coach that likes Gabbert – Seattle considered him this offseason and Miami pondered trading for him after Ryan Tannehill‘s injury. Still, it’s somewhat surprising to hear that Arians views him as a future starter since the former No. 10 overall pick hasn’t really experienced success at the NFL level. In five games as San Francisco’s starter last season, Gabbert posted a 1-4 record, while completing 56.9% of his passes for five touchdowns and six interceptions.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- It appears that J.D. McKissic is back to being a running back after spending some time at wide receiver, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times notes. This could have implications on the Seahawks‘ 53-man roster, chiefly for 2016 fifth-round choice Alex Collins after he did not get a carry in the team’s most recent preseason game.
- 49ers running back Raheem Mostert is making a late run for a roster spot, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. The well-traveled 25-year-old is having a strong preseason while veteran Tim Hightower has missed two of three games. In Hightower’s lone appearance, he lost a fumble and had three carries for minus-one yard. In Mostert’s last outing, he had 130 all purpose yards and flashed serious skills as a pass catcher.
- The Cardinals have interest in acquiring Panthers punter Andy Lee.