Cardinals name Blaine Gabbert the starting quarterback against Texans

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians named Blaine Gabbert the starting quarterback against the Houston Texans when the teams meet on Sunday. Quarterback Drew Stanton, who suffered a sprained knee against Seattle last Thursday night, wasn’t healthy enough to go. So Gabbert will become the third quarterback to start for the Cardinals this season.

What happened? During the first quarter against Seattle, Seahawks defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson hit Stanton on his knee. Stanton began to walk with a limp, but he managed to play the rest of the game. He finished the game with 273 passing yards and a touchdown.

Stanton was already filling in for Carson Palmer, who broke his arm against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Saturday that Stanton’s sprained knee could cost him a game or two. Mortensen also noted that Gabbert would start against Houston if Stanton couldn’t suit up. Stanton practiced with the team on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday but on a limited basis.

Arians said on Wednesday that he would name the starting quarterback on Friday. Gabbert took the most reps with first team on Wednesday, but Stanton made more progress than expected, according to Arians.

Arians told ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss that he would be “extremely comfortable” if Gabbert started against the Texans. In fact, Arians raved about Gabbert’s confidence.

“He’s got all the confidence in the world. That’s the one thing I like about him, and I think sometimes it helps him because he’s had to learn so much football. He can learn quickly and forget and start all over,” Arians said.

The Jacksonville Jaguars used a first-round draft pick on Gabbert in 2011, and he’s been considered a big bust since then. He’s thrown for 7,351 yards to go along with 38 touchdowns and 37 interceptions in his career. Gabbert spent his first three seasons in the NFL with the Jaguars and the last three with the San Francisco 49ers.

Gabbert has struggled to produce at a high level in his career, but Arians knows why the 28-year-old has had a bad rap:

Now Gabbert will get a chance to start for his seventh coach in seven seasons.

What does this mean? At 4-5, the Cardinals are still mathematically alive in the playoff race, but they can’t solely rely on Gabbert to win games for them. Arizona can take the pressure off Gabbert by running the ball with Adrian Peterson and incorporating play-action passes. Luckily for Gabbert, though, he has Larry Fitzgerald as a good safety blanket.

The Texans have their own struggles on offense — especially since Tom Savage took over as the starter after rookie Deshaun Watson tore his ACL. But if the Cardinals struggle on the ground like they did last week against Seattle, it could be a long day in Houston for Gabbert.