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Come Fan with UsSaturday, June 20, 2026

Cardinals vs Falcons: Despite lead, John Skelton benched for Ryan Lindley

Ken Whisenhunt must have finally looked at Skelton’s numbers this season. It just took the Cardinals winning for him to make a change.

Five straight losses? Maybe you don't worry about how bad your starting quarterback is without a proven backup. Leading the 8-1 Falcons in Atlanta? I guess this is the time that Ken Whisenhunt felt he really needed an upgrade at the position.

With the Cardinals leading the Falcons, 13-0, after the first quarter, Whisenhunt has benched John Skelton in favor of rookie Ryan Lindley. Skelton was 2 of 7 for six yards, less than one yard per attempt, which was the last straw on the back of a camel that had nothing left to give. The Cardinals have lost five straight games after a 4-0 start, with Skelton starting the last three of those losses. After winning the starting job over Kevin Kolb almost by default, Skelton has thrown two touchdowns and five interceptions in four starts.

Lindley, a four-year starter at San Diego State, was a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft and has yet to take a regular-season snap for Arizona. Now all he has to do is hold a lead against the team with the best record in the NFC. No pressure, kid.

Seriously, your team has lost five straight games, you can’t do much worse than Skelton.

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