Matt Leinart wants an explanation why he’s not been given what he believes is a fair shot to become the Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback.
Leinart said last week that he’s “done everything to this point that they’ve asked me to and more” when it was announced that Derek Anderson would start at QB for the Cardinals in their third preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
In an interview with the Arizona Republic, Leinart said he didn’t know why decisions were being made that led to Anderson starting.
Perhaps it has something to do with the fact he’s failed to meet expectations since being taken 10th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Leinart has been given every opportunity to fill the role Arizona drafted him to do. After a brief holdout, he signed a six-year deal for $51 million and was handed the starting job during his rookie season.
The Heisman Trophy winner suffered season-ending injuries during his rookie season and again in 2007, but when he was on the field his performance didn’t justify the high pick or the contract Arizona invested in him.
Since his 2006 debut, Leinart has appeared in a total of nine games, completing 75 of 141 passes for 911 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.
Over the past two seasons, former Cardinals QB Kurt Warner led the team to consecutive NFC West titles and the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl appearance.
After Warner announced his retirement at the end of last season, everyone expected Leinart to be given yet another chance to earn the starting QB job.
But in his two preseason starts, Leinart hasn’t looked like a viable option for the Cardinals. In fact, he’s looked more like a third string QB.
Voicing his frustration with the decision to start Anderson, Leinart said, “the philosophy is you want the best 11 guys to play. I feel like I’ve proved that with my performance.
I don’t really know what else I could possibly do, so it probably goes beyond football. For me, I just really want an explanation and I haven’t been given one.”
If Leinart honestly believes his performance justifies being given the starting job, he’s going to be very disappointed when he’s given the explanation.
Chances are the explanation he seeks isn’t something he necessarily wants to hear, especially when it involves the truth.
The truth is, Leinart simply doesn’t have the confidence of his coach and hasn’t proven capable of leading the Cardinals.
It’s the only explanation anyone in the Cardinals organization can offer and despite what Leinart wants to believe, it’s the honest one.
Leinart has nearly exhausted all the chances he’s going to get, at least in Arizona.
If he really wants to prove he deserves to be the Cardinals starting QB, he should stop asking for explanations when all he has to do is look in the mirror for the reasons behind his failures.
