The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly close to a deal for Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer. As a result of that trade, current quarterback John Skelton could be on his way out, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Skelton would likely be released to make room for Palmer, as opposed to being the backup.
Cardinals rumors: John Skelton release ‘likely’ after Carson Palmer trade
John Skelton is likely the odd man out in Arizona, provided the Cardinals are able to make the trade for quarterback Carson Palmer.
Skelton is one of four quarterbacks currently on the Arizona roster, alongside Brian Hoyer, Ryan Lindley and Drew Stanton. He's received multiple chances at being the starter over the past couple seasons, but none of those opportunities have panned out.
In 2012, Skelton played in seven games and threw for 1,132 yards with two touchdowns against a whopping nine interceptions, completing just 54.2 percent of his passes. The previous year, he threw for 1,913 yards with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. There was a point during the 2011 season that Skelton put together a couple good games and many thought he might be an under-the-radar answer, but that was quickly extinguished.
Skelton would be the second Cardinals quarterback released this offseason, as the team parted ways with Kevin Kolb, who underperformed and dealt with injuries since earning a large contract. Kolb had trouble fighting off Skelton for the starting job at times.
Stanton was expected to be the Cardinals starting quarterback in 2013, at least according to head coach Bruce Arians. Of course, the general public remained skeptical about Stanton as a starter and now that the Palmer trade seems likely, it’s clear that Arians was simply trying to boost the confidence of a guy that they might be forced to roll with next year. Stanton would presumably be the backup behind Palmer.
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