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Skelton beats out Kolb as Cardinals starting QB - Yahoo! Sports
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- John Skelton, a fifth-round draft pick who took the unlikely route from El Paso to Fordham to the NFL, is the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt announced his decision to go with Skelton over Kevin Kolb on Friday.
Skelton and Kolb had waged a protracted competition for the job over offseason workouts and through the preseason.
''I'm not going to get into the specifics of everything that was involved but it's fair to say at this point going forward we feel like the quarterback that gives us the best chance to win right now is John Skelton,'' Whisenhunt said.
Skelton is in his third season with Arizona after being drafted in the fifth round out of Fordham. Skelton, who grew up in El Paso, Texas, stands 6-foot-6 and has a cannon arm but sometimes struggles with accuracy.
''This is truly the first offseason he's had to work,'' Whisenhunt said, ''and I've seen progress from him. He's a guy that's believed in himself. At times, he's shown he could make plays. At times, he's looked like a young quarterback.''
The Cardinals made the decision despite their significant investment in Kolb, who was acquired just before last season in a trade that sent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft pick to Philadelphia.
The Cardinals then signed Kolb to a five-year, $63.5 million contract extension with $21 million guaranteed.
Kolb was handed the starter's job when he arrived in the desert, but after a season-opening win over Carolina, the Cardinals went into a six-game skid. When he went down with a turf toe injury, Skelton took over, as he did when Kolb was sidelined with what turned out to be a season-ending concussion.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt announced his decision to go with Skelton over Kevin Kolb on Friday.
Skelton and Kolb had waged a protracted competition for the job over offseason workouts and through the preseason.
''I'm not going to get into the specifics of everything that was involved but it's fair to say at this point going forward we feel like the quarterback that gives us the best chance to win right now is John Skelton,'' Whisenhunt said.
Skelton is in his third season with Arizona after being drafted in the fifth round out of Fordham. Skelton, who grew up in El Paso, Texas, stands 6-foot-6 and has a cannon arm but sometimes struggles with accuracy.
''This is truly the first offseason he's had to work,'' Whisenhunt said, ''and I've seen progress from him. He's a guy that's believed in himself. At times, he's shown he could make plays. At times, he's looked like a young quarterback.''
The Cardinals made the decision despite their significant investment in Kolb, who was acquired just before last season in a trade that sent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft pick to Philadelphia.
The Cardinals then signed Kolb to a five-year, $63.5 million contract extension with $21 million guaranteed.
Kolb was handed the starter's job when he arrived in the desert, but after a season-opening win over Carolina, the Cardinals went into a six-game skid. When he went down with a turf toe injury, Skelton took over, as he did when Kolb was sidelined with what turned out to be a season-ending concussion.
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