Kevin Kolb’s status with the Cardinals in 2012 is uncertain. If Kolb was definitely returning to the team next year, Cardinals G.M. Rod Graves and coach Ken Whisenhunt would declare from the mountaintops that he’s their starting quarterback and will be back with the team.
Instead, the Cardinals are leaving the door open to go after Peyton Manning. So there are no perfect answers when it comes to Kolb’s future and the Cardinals are trying to answer the assembled media here at the Combine the best way they know how.
As the picture to the right shows, Manning is looming over the Cardinals quarterback depth chart at the moment.
Whisenhunt indicated that the team has not discussed Kolb’s option bonus (due March 17) internally, but admitted that the team is always looking at “opportunities” to “get better as a team.” G.M. Rod Graves recognized that the situation could change if certain players become available.
“We’re all looking to get better,” Graves said. “If those opportunities present themselves, so be it. But otherwise we’ve got an outstanding group of quarterbacks right now and believe we can win with those quarterbacks.”
Right now is the key phrase. Graves used it repeatedly because he recognized the quarterback market could change. PFT asked Graves specifically about the decision to pick up Kolb’s option.
“Right now, you have to work with the information you have at hand. And right now as I look at it we fully expect Kevin is going to be with us and we’ll honor that contract as it is obviously,” Graves said. “And we’ll see what every day brings forward and make our decisions accordingly. Right now, we’ve got three quarterbacks that did a great job for us . . . right now, as it stands today, we’re not anticipating anything different.”
The Cardinals know there is a gap between when Peyton Manning is likely to be cut (by March 8) and when Kolb’s option is due. During that window, an opportunity will likely present itself.
We’d be surprised if the Cardinals didn’t explore that opportunity to get better.
(Photo courtesy of Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times.)
