Blaine Gabbert spent his last two seasons as the 49ers’ on again, off again starting quarterback. This fall, he’ll add experience to the Cardinals depth chart.
Blaine Gabbert adds quarterback depth for the Cardinals
Technically, he’s a starting-caliber quarterback. Technically.
Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
Gabbert signed a one-year deal with Arizona on Wednesday according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, which will be his third home since joining the league in 2011. He hasn’t exactly lived up to the expectations that came with his status as a former first-round draft pick, but at only 27 years old he can still grow into a useful backup and occasional starter in the right environment.
The former Missouri standout was a surprise top 10 pick in the 2011 NFL draft, where he was thrown into the fire with a perpetually rebuilding Jaguars team. Jacksonville was a difficult setting for a young quarterback, and Gabbert went just 5-22 as a starter in three years with the franchise. In two seasons as the team’s primary starter, he ranked 33rd and 25th in the league in terms of passer rating.
Those dismal numbers didn’t prevent Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers from shipping a sixth-round pick east in hopes of jump-starting the young quarterback’s career. Though he played sparingly in 2014, his first year with the franchise, San Francisco still saw fit to re-sign him to a two-year, $2 million deal. He made 13 starts the next two seasons in place of Colin Kaepernick, but still had his share of struggles. Flanked by the crumbling infrastructure known as the Niners roster, Gabbert went 4-9 in three seasons on the West Coast.
A promising 2015 season showcased the kind of performance for which the Cardinals can hope. Gabbert wasn’t great, but posted a career-high 63.6 completion rate and scraped out a 10:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio in eight games. Those are completely reasonable numbers for a capable backup quarterback.
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