With Kyler Murray out with a torn ACL, the Cardinals will turn to Colt McCoy to start at quarterback for the rest of the season.
McCoy has been in the league since the Browns selected him in the third round of the 2010 draft and has started five games with the Cardinals since signing with the club as a free agent in 2021.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said on Tuesday that he has a “very high” level of confidence in McCoy’s ability to lead the team in its last four games.
“[Monday] he had some tough breaks,” Kingsbury said in his press conference. “I think with a week of preparation [where] he gets the reps and he’s really confident that’s when he’s played at a high level. It’s not easy to come in on the third play of the game and then try to execute like that, but I thought he gave us a chance. We just weren’t able to make some plays there and in some critical situations.”
Kingsbury added that part of McCoy’s longevity in the league stems from the rapport with his teammates being “as good as I’ve ever seen.”
“Whether it’s DBs or linemen or linebackers, he can talk football as well with different position groups as anybody I’ve ever seen,” Kingsbury said. “The respect level they have for him is through the roof and he puts in the work. He’s a brilliant football mind, and then he is really good when he gets a chance to play. The ball goes to the right spot [and] it goes out on time.
“He’s earned that right to play in this league as long as he can really operate and stay healthy, but a lot of it I think has to do with just his understanding. He could be a coach if he wanted to right now. He’d probably take my job easily. He has that type of knowledge and that type of command in the locker room.”
McCoy, 36, has completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 702 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions this season. He completed 74.7 percent of his passes last year for 740 yards with three touchdowns and one pick in eight appearances.
The Cardinals will travel to Denver to take on the Broncos this weekend.
