subject: Arizona Cardinals Tickets - Quarterback Issues Plague Preseason [print this page] The Arizona Cardinals are already wishing Kurt Warner was dancing on the football field instead of in the ballroom with "Dancing with the Stars" this season. The retired quarterback gave ample notice in his retirement from the National Football League after the 2009-10 NFL season, but that doesn't make finding a replacement for him any easier in Arizona.
The Cardinals have an unexpected dilemma on their hands going into the regular season, and it all revolves around Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson. Leinart, a former first-round draft pick out of USC, has long been groomed to take over for Kurt Warner upon his retirement from the Cardinals, but he's botched just about every attempt at taking the reins smoothly. Leinart's difficulty to produce on the field has divided the Cardinals locker room, and now with the addition of Derek Anderson on the roster it looks like Leinart will be demoted to backup and might even be on his way out of Arizona altogether.
Ever since the Cardinals acquired Anderson from the Browns earlier this offseason, there's been a quarterback battle heating up in Arizona. The Cards started the offseason with the impression that Leinart was the declared No. 1 quarterback, but he was subsequently benched during the preseason, with Anderson taking over the starting job. This, of course, has Leinart disgruntled with taking a backup role, and he even made a statement to the press in late August saying, "I feel like I've outplayed the competition. Training camp, preseason. I think my play speaks about that. For me, this goes beyond the football field."
In declaring a media war with his statement to the press, Leinart has also opened the doors for discussion on a possible trade before the start of the regular season. If Anderson is indeed the Cardinals' starter this season, Leinart will not be satisfied with the No. 2 job. Period. The Cards are reportedly in talks with a couple other teams around the league for a trade going into the final game of the preseason, but it's tough to predict where the former USC standout and Heisman Trophy winner will land.
As of Sept. 1, there's a slight chance the Cards could strike a deal with the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills or Oakland Raiders involving Leinart. Even though the quarterback has declared he won't be happy unless he's a starter in the NFL, the Giants recently lost backup Jim Sorgi to injury and could use a No. 2 guy there. Leinart could also provide competition for Trent Edwards in Buffalo or Jason Campbell in Oakland, but with a moderately large salary it's hard to say if teams will be willing to cough up so much money for a quarterback who's failed to produce in the past.
What it comes down to in Arizona, however, is that the Cardinals' decision to start Derek Anderson over Matt Leinart is one that might not be purely based on sheer talent. While Leinart might be a better overall player than Anderson, he doesn't have the confidence of his teammates behind him. According to NFL.com's Michael Lombardi, "The decision with Matt Leinart is strictly a business decision - not personal - because Matt Leinart doesn't have the locker room in his command. He doesn't have the support of some of the great players in that offense that he needs to step forward. So this isn't a one-game evaluation, (it's about) practice and how he fits in the locker room."
Will Derek Anderson be able to win over the tough Cardinals crowd this season and are Matt Leinart's days in Arizona really numbered? These are questions soon to be answered as the regular season rapidly approaches, and fans with Arizona Cardinals tickets can witness it all this season!
