What’s there to say at this point? The Packers are hosting the Arizona this weekend, who have seen a fairly large number of starting quarterbacks duck under center over the past 20 seasons. Since we’ve done this for seven other teams at this point and people seem to enjoy it, we figured we’d bypass the usual Wisconsin sports coverage this week in favor of ranking the 20 starting quarterbacks the Cardinals have fielded since the 2005 season. Go Pack Go!
20. Trace McSorley
After Kyler Murray tore his ACL and Colt McCoy sustained a head injury late in the 2022 season, Trace McSorley’s stepped in to, hopefully, finish out a dreadful season. Over a span of six games that season (one of which was in a starting QB capacity), the Penn State standout threw for a total of 412 yards, with no touchdowns and five interceptions. He showed glimmers of goodness, but was benched in Week 17 in favor of David Blough.
19. Clayton Tune
Arizona’s current backup quarterback is Clayton Tune, whom the team drafted in the 5th round in 2023. He hasn’t had many regular season opportunities to this point, but also hasn’t really shown much in his limited snaps. Currently, he’s managed 62 passing yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and a fumble in portions of eight games played (one of which was a start in a game the Cardinals lost). There’s time to climb the list, but for now Tune is next-to-last.
18. Max Hall
When chosen Cardinals starter Derek Anderson struggled partway through the 2010 season, the reins of the offense were given to undrafted rookie Max Hall. The Arizona-born quarterback proceeded to go 1-2 in three starts. In total, Hall managed a stat line of 370 passing yards, one touchdown, and six picks in his six career NFL games (all with the Cards).
17. Brian Hoyer
Yes, Arizona was a brief stop in the career of journeyman backup quarterback Brian Hoyer. In 2012, his only season with the Cardinals, Hoyer played in two games (including one start—a loss) in which he passed for 330 total yards with one touchdown and a pair of INTs. Not terrible, by any means…but it’s too small of a sample size to deserve a rank higher than 17th.
16. David Blough
Speaking of small sample sizes, David Blough started the final two games of the aforementioned injury-riddled and altogether bad 2022 Cardinals campaign. He was pretty okay, tossing 402 yards and two touchdowns (plus a pair of interceptions) during two Arizona losses.
15. Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford, who was the first overall pick in the 2010 draft, experienced a career resurgence of sorts with the Vikings in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, Bradford inked a two-year deal to become the starting quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals. That job lasted a total of three games, both of which Arizona lost in blowout fashion. Before the Week 3 game was though, Bradford was lifted in favor of rookie Josh Rosen, who the Cardinals selected in the first round of the 2018 draft. All told, Bradford’s career-ending tenure in Arizona saw him throwing for 400 total yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions in three losing efforts.
14. Ryan Lindley
With a whopping 11 interceptions to just two passing touchdowns in 10 games (six starts) spread throughout two Cardinals seasons in 2012 and 2014, the number 14 spot on this list seems generous for Ryan Lindley. However, one of those starts was a win for Arizona, so that—plus his 1,314 passing yards—gives him a slight edge over the likes of Bradford, Blough, and Hoyer.
13. Josh Rosen
With the 10th overall pick in the 2018 draft, the Cardinals selected UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen. As noted in the Bradford blurb, he became Arizona’s starter four games into his rookie season. Perhaps we was given the job prematurely because he didn’t seem to be ready for the role. In 13 starts, Rosen managed 2,278 passing yards with 11 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions. Arizona lost 10 of the 13 games Rosen started in his first and only year with the Cardinals. He was traded to Miami in the offseason to make room for incoming Kyler Murray, who Arizona was able to draft with the first overall pick that Rosen’s performance helped the team secure.
12. Derek Anderson
Career backup (minus one great Pro Bowl year in Cleveland) Derek Anderson was given the starting job at the start of the 2010 season after Arizona cut Matt Leinart. As we noted earlier, that didn’t stick, as Anderson was benched after nine games in favor of Max Hall and, later, John Skelton. During his time and QB1, Anderson passed for 2,065 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Not awful. Not great.
11. Blaine Gabbert
We don’t really have much to say on this one. Blaine Gabbert, who settled into a nice career as a backup after flaming out in Jacksonville, helped Arizona win two of the five games he started for the team in 2017. In the process, he managed just over 1,000 passing yards, as well as six touchdowns and six interceptions.
10. Joshua Dobbs
What a 2023 it was for Joshua Dobbs! Before breaking off a couple of great games for the Vikings late in the season (and proceeding to regress by season’s end), Dobbs actually began the season under center for Arizona, leading the team to a 1-7 record in games he started. Along the way, “The Passtronaut” threw for 1,569 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He also added 258 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns.
9. Colt McCoy
The fifth and final stop during Colt McCoy’s 12-year career was Arizona. While there in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Arizona won three of the six games he started. Over the entirety of the 12 games in which McCoy played as a Cardinal, the veteran quarterback managed 1,520 passing yards with four touchdowns, four interceptions, and an impressive 71% completion percentage.
8. Matt Leinart
After an outstanding collegiate career at USC, Matt Leinart was taken by the Cardinals with the 10th overall selection in the 2006 draft. His NCAA success didn’t translate to the pros. In four seasons primarily spent backing up Kurt Warner, Leinart threw 14 touchdown passes, 20 interceptions, and a paltry 3,893 yards through the air. He also added two rushing touchdowns. In 17 total starts with Arizona spread between four years, the team managed a 7-10 record.
7. John Skelton
When Leinart was cut before the 2010 season, Arizona drafted another quarterback. John Skelton was taken in the fifth round and initially buried behind Derek Anderson and Max Hall on the depth chart. However, he made his way into the starting lineup with four games at the helm before the end of his rookie year, then followed it up with a total of 13 more starts scattered between 2011 and 2012. Over his three-year and 20-game (17 of those in a starter capacity) Cardinals career, Skelton threw for 3,707 yards with 15 touchdowns but a staggering 25 interceptions. Though it’s a team game, it’s worth noting Arizona had an 8-9 record in games started by Skelton.
6. Drew Stanton
After a few underwhelming years in Detroit and bouncing around to other teams, Drew Stanton settled in as the primary backup to Carson Palmer in Arizona. When Palmer was injured or otherwise unable to play, Stanton stepped in capably to lead the Cardinals to an impressive 9-4 record in games he started. Over the course of 26 total games, Stanton tallied 2,901 passing yards, and threw 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions alike.
5. Kevin Kolb
While he wasn’t flashy, Kevin Kolb was efficient during his two-season stint with Arizona in 2011 and 2012. In 15 games (14 of those as a starter), Kolb tossed 17 touchdowns (plus one rushing TD) to just 11 interceptions. He threw for more than 3,000 yards total and the Cardinals also won six of the games he started.
4. Josh McCown
Over the course of his 16-year career, Josh McCown played for nine teams. His longest stint in one city came with his first team, the Arizona Cardinals. During his four years in the desert that consisted of 33 games and 22 starts, McCown threw for 5,431 yards with 25 touchdowns and a decidedly-less-impressive 29 picks. He also added over 400 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns. McCown went 10-12 as a starter. While his spot in the Top 5 of this list may be questionable based on those numbers alone, you must also remember that his game-winning touchdown pass to Nate Poole against the Vikings as time expired in Week 17 of the 2003 season was responsible for giving the Packers a playoff spot.
3. Carson Palmer
Wow, this list takes a lot of time to write. You’re certainly aware of Carson Palmer, right? Cool! Well, after spending the early part of his career in Cincinnati and forcing a trade to the Raiders, Palmer was able to finish his career in Arizona. Though he spent just five seasons with the Cardinals (two of which were significantly shortened by injury), Palmer still ranks in the Top 5 on the Cardinals’ all-time leaders in wins, completions, passing yards, and touchdowns.
2. Kyler Murray
Like Palmer, fellow former number one overall pick Kyler Murray also lands in the Top 5 of most of Arizona’s major passing categories. If he can manage to stay healthy and uphold his level of production, there’s a good chance he might wind up being the best or second-best Cards QB ever. That being said, let’s hope Murray’s state line isn’t very impressive this coming Sunday.
1. Kurt Warner
Like it wasn’t always going to be the Hall Of Fame quarterback who willed the team to its only Super Bowl appearance ever. Yeah, Kurt Warner is the best of the last 20 seasons, and the stats back it up.