SB Nation Top 5 - Power Rankings
No matter how bad the Arizona Cardinals quarterback situation is right now, it's been worse. Come inside to find out how and when.
Sep 6, 2010 - If the traffic numbers for SB Nation Arizona are any indication, the people reading these articles are mildly invested in some sort of quarterback situation developing for the Arizona Cardinals.
To catch any outsiders up, Matt Leinart was named the Cardinals starter going into training camp for the 3rd time in Ken Whisenhunt's 4 camps. Yet for the second time he lost the gig in preseason - the first was in 2008 to Kurt Warner but this time he lost the job to free agent quarterback (and 44% passer) Derek Anderson.
With Leinart's release Saturday afternoon, Anderson officially has the starting job on lock with his only backups being undrafted rookie Max Hall and recent 5th round draft pick John Skelton. If you're like me, seeing those three names as the Cardinals quarterback depth chart helps you break out in a heavy case of flop sweat.
But fear not my friends, I'm here to prove that it has in fact been worse! To prove it I've produced the list of the worst starting quarterbacks in Arizona Cardinals history.
The criteria:
Honorable Mention:
No. 5 (t) - Dave Brown
How We Got Into This Mess:
Brown was a first round supplemental pick by the New York Giants in 1992 and started 53 games for the team before losing his job to the immortal Danny Kanell in 1997. Arizona grabbed him before the 1998 season to serve as the backup to Jake Plummer.
After Plummer suffered a broken finger in 1999, Brown got his chance to start and actually managed to post a 3-2 record as starter. Brown would start 2 more games for the 3-13 Cards in 2000 with Plummer nursing sore ribs.
Pertinent Numbers:
First of all, that 3-2 record in 1999 was highly deceptive since Brown's numbers for the season were 49.7% passing on 169 attempts for just 944 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. That's a tidy 55.9 QB rating for those of you scoring at home.
In his 7 starts and 16 total games for the Cardinals, Brown proved himself to be every bit the well below average quarterback that caused a young Scott Howard to inform then-Giants head coach Jim Fassel that "Dave Brown sucks" (true story).
What Would Become Of Him:
Following the 2001 season, the 31 year-old Brown never played in an NFL game again - no word on whether he retired or was just generally unwanted by the NFL/earth.
No. 5 (t) - Shaun King
How We Got Into This Mess:
King was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft and was almost immediately forced into action after Trent Dilfer suffered a season ending injury. Though he was a rookie, he managed to stay out of the way while the Tampa defense dragged the team all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
Tony Dungy retained King as his starter in 2000 but by 2001 Brad Johnson had arrived and resigned King to a reserve role.
King became a free agent in 2004 and signed with Dennis Green's Cardinals to backup Josh McCown. After 9 average games by McCown, Green named King the starter, a job he would hold for just two games before Green handed the job to another stud on our list.
Pertinent Numbers:
In his three games and two starts King was exactly as bad as you have to be to lose a job to the number 3 guy on this list.
What Would Become Of Him:
Arizona brought Kurt Warner in before the 2005 season and lost the need to have King around. Though Shaun King never played another NFL game, he was with the Lions and Colts during parts of a few preseasons. He also had a brief spell in both the Arena Football League and CFL before retiring.
No. 4 - Tom Tupa
How We Got Into This Mess:
The Cardinals grabbed Tupa out of Ohio State with a third round pick in the 1988 NFL Draft - how he was still available, only God knows.
Tupa started a couple games for the Cardinals in his second season - one due to injury while the other was probably due to interim head coach Hank Kuhlmann thinking it would be hilarious. When incumbent starter Timm Rosenbach went down with an injury before the '91 season, Tupa became the man. Usage of the term "the man" in this instance requires you to suspend disbelief.
Pertinent Numbers:
The future punter started 13 games for the Cardinals over his four seasons with the team and appeared in 14 more than that. His numbers are exactly what you expect and probably a little worse.
What Would Become Of Him:
Phoenix released Tupa before the 1992 season and he joined the Indianapolis Colts as a backup QB. Tupa was released by Cleveland prior to the 1993 season and didn't return to the league until 1994.
But here's the fun part, Tupa returned in '94 as a punter, a position he would fill on various teams over the course of the next 12 seasons. He even made a Pro Bowl in 1999. I suppose the punting should give him a leg up on the rest of the guys on this list (pun well intended).
No. 3 - John Navarre
How We Got Into This Mess:
The Cardinals picked Navarre in the 7th round of the 2004 NFL Draft, probably just assuming that picking a late round QB from Michigan worked out pretty well for the Patriots,so they'd give it a shot.
Navarre was expected to serve as the third stringer behind Josh McCown and Shaun King but as the other two fell prey to Dennis Green's itchy trigger finger when it came to QBs, Navarre got his chance in Week 13.
Pertinent Numbers:
He made just one incredibly unimpressive start (18/40, 4 interceptions and a 25.8 QB rating) before succumbing to a finger injury and losing his job. The next season he was back in the third string role and appeared in just one game.
What Would Become Of Him:
The big, immobile Michigan man never again played for the Cardinals and though he went to training camp with the Colts in 2007 he didn't make it onto the active roster.
Since Wikipedia informs me that he was last seen working for something called Alro Steel in Michigan, I'm going to go ahead out on a limb and say his chances of returning to the league are slim.
No. 2 - Stoney Case
How We Got Into This Mess:
Case has a bit of a cool story since he was the quarterback of the Permian Panthers the season after the events described in the book Friday Night Lights. After a starring career at New Mexico, Case was selected by the Cardinals in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft (10 picks in front of WR Antonio Freeman...nice).
A quarterback to whom the best compliment you can offer of his skills is that he's handsome, Case appeared in only one game over his first two seasons. After Kent Graham suffered an injury in 1997, coach Vince Tobin wasn't quite ready to turn the job right over to rookie Jake Plummer so he let Case start in Week 8.
The one start was all Case would get, and he didn't even last the entire game.
Pertinent Numbers:
Stoney had just the one start for Arizona and appeared in 5 games total. His stats were only a tad better than what we probably could have gotten out of his ex-girlfriend Ali Landry (you know her better as the Doritos Girl)
What Would Become Of Him:
Mr. Doritos Girl lasted with the Cardinals up through 1998 before joining Baltimore for the 1999 season. Unlike many of the other distinguished stars presented here, Case actually did go on to start 5 more games in his NFL career - 4 with Baltimore and 1 with Detroit in 2000. However his performance was just as expected with him throwing 3 times as many interceptions as touchdowns (4/12).
Case played four seasons in the Arena Football League before retiring in 2007.
No. 1 - Stan Gelbaugh
How We Got Into This Mess:
Dallas picked Gelbaugh in the 6th round of the 1986 NFL Draft but he didn't make the roster there. In 1987 he split his time between being a punter in the CFL and a backup quarterback for Buffalo.
Gelbaugh spent 4 seasons in Buffalo, one on injured reserve, and appeared in a game exactly once. Cincinnati took a flier on the ex-Maryland star but he again didn't make it through camp.
After an MVP performance in the World League of American Football - I know you didn't forget his star turn with the London Monarchs (or that there was a World Football League of America) - Gelbaugh rejoined the CFL and used that to catapult his way into Phoenix.
With Tom Tupa as the number one guy, Gelbaugh was brought aboard to provide depth. Since you know exactly how Tupa worked out, Gelbaugh was given the keys to the crap castle in Week 12. He lasted three starts.
Pertinent Numbers:
He's number one on a list of quarterbacks who are all particularly awful, I bet you can predict the kind of numbers Gelbaugh posted in his 3 starts and 6 total games in his one season in the Valley.
Just for fun, here's a video of him gagging away the final start of his Cardinals career:
What Would Become Of Him:
Shockingly enough the Cardinals didn't want to bring the guy who threw 10 interceptions in just 118 attempts back into the QB fold. As for Gelbaugh, he returned to the World League and again used that subpar talent of his to get himself an NFL job.
Seattle took him on and due to what I can only imagine was some sort of dinosaur attack that killed all viable QB options, Gelbaugh started a whopping 8 games for the Seahawks. He won none of those starts.
Though he was terrible at playing quarterback, Seattle must have thought he was a really nice guy or good influence on the locker room since he lasted with the team through 1996 before retiring.
While Stan Gelbaugh was my "winner" it's pretty safe to say that any of the candidates would have been worthy of the top spot.
I suppose the goal for Derek Anderson (or Max Hall...shudder) this season will be to avoid the indignity of making me consider them for this list. Aim for the middle fellas!
7 comments
Comments
You way overrated Tom Tupa.
He should be number one. He was hands down the worst.
I once tried to quit a job using a dry erase board. Unfortunately I wrote the first part in Sharpie so I couldn't finish.
by Greg Esposito on Sep 6, 2010 9:11 PM MST reply actions
Also, the Cardinals have to be the only team in the NFL to ever have two quarterbacks who were better as punters
I once tried to quit a job using a dry erase board. Unfortunately I wrote the first part in Sharpie so I couldn't finish.
by Greg Esposito on Sep 6, 2010 9:22 PM MST up reply actions
I'm comfortable with Gelbaugh at the top
If he had the number of starts as Tupa he would have blown past him numbers wise.
Navarre never should have started even one game in the first place but Dennis Green was such a prick that he had to toss him out there.
But really? They’re all winners. I could have just written “No. 1 (t)” next to everyone’s name.
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Sep 6, 2010 9:34 PM MST up reply actions
I remember Tupa filling in as a punter for Cards
for an injured Rich Camarillo. Should’ve been a clue then he was in the wrong position. Who was the other QB? I’m stumped.
Also, a bit of useless trivia- you know who scored the first two-point conversion in its return in the 90s? None other than Tupa. He was the holder on a botched snap. He got up and ran it in. Crazy!
It's a view from the La-Z-Boy (and sometimes from the bleachers), but it's still a view!
by Jess Root on Sep 6, 2010 10:24 PM MST reply actions
Your problem, Scott...
“Must have been since the Cardinals moved to Phoenix. That’s 1988 and on – I don’t want your history St. Louis or Chicago.”
What you don’t seem to get, Scott, is that we ARE your history.
I have been a Cardinals fan since before you were born, man. And there were Cardinals fans before I was born. They (my Dad and my Grandpa) are the reason that I am a Cardinal fan.
You don’t even know what it’s like, yet.
Try going 32 years with 1 trip to the playoffs.
Not 10 years with 3 trips, like you’ve had. You have no clue, so please don’t ask me to omit my past on the merits that it took place in a different geographic area.
I’m not old, by any stretch. I’m 34… but I grew up 60 miles from St. Louis… LONG before the advent of NFL Sunday ticket, when we used to turn our ANTENNAE with the ROTOR, in an attempt to pick up a random snowy broadcast out of Vincennes, Indiana (2 hours from where I live and 3 hours from St. Louis), just so we could sort of watch the Cardinals lose.
I got most of my cardinals footage from the late night news, between 10:18 and 10:27, after the weather.
You don’t want our history? Our history is what makes the present so great.
Your very attitude is what’s wrong many/most athletes today. If you maintain it, I don’t EVER want to see you write an article about Dez Bryant or any other athlete, not respecting those who came before them, b/c you, yourself, don’t go back that far.
I will always be a Cardinal fan, whether it’s in St. Louis, Arizona, or Las Vegas.
It makes me wonder if I actually liked it better before we were good… and people like you cared enough to pay attention.
I can’t say for sure, because I am really enjoying the Cardinals being good for the first time in my lifetime. (Good is relative… they were actually “good” in 70’s/80’s at times, just that 10,11 wins didn’t always get you into the playoffs… b/c there was no wild card.) But you wouldn’t care about that, would you. As far as you’re concerned, that never happened.
Sad, man.
Omit the one sentence (that shows how you feel) and I was on board with your whole article. Lesson in writing.
Don’t offend for the sake of offending when it makes ZERO literary difference to your article.
by Myers on Sep 7, 2010 11:52 AM MST reply actions
I see your point....
But please don’t lump me in with some bullshit bandwagon fan. I’ve basically been born and raised in Phoenix…I was here when the Cardinals showed up and have been a fan ever since. I sat in Sun Devil Stadium Sunday after Sunday and watched a lot of the quarterbacks on this list get their shit kicked in by bigger and better teams. So excuse me if I tell you to take your “people like you” comment and shove it.
I respect that you’ve followed the team throughout the years and the cities but personally I don’t think I’d do the same. If a team leaves the city and state that I love then I’d probably be done with them…and I think a lot of people would agree with me there.
Like it or not (and you clearly don’t) but those “geographical differences” really do make a world of difference. Growing up in Phoenix there is probably a zero percent chance I would have become a Cardinals fan had they never left St. Louis (or Chicago).
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Sep 7, 2010 12:12 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
and I see yours...
and the “people like you” was, I agree, a reference to the bandwagoneers… and if you truly are not, then I rescind that statement.
And… you are correct, that most people would not (and did not) remain fans of the team if/when they were to or did leave their city. However… I did. And here’s why.
When they left, I was 13. (1987).
There was no such thing as fantasy football, directTV, the internet, etc. It was over the air TV and Radio. I had no other outlets, for NFL football, if I didn’t root for a team, specifically. And, unlike when the Browns left and became the Ravens… The Cardinals left, and became… well… the Cardinals. So, I didn’t “see” a different team on the field when they played.
Cleveland kept the name, the colors, and everything, AND were all but promised a new team… so they knew the Browns were eventually coming back… as they were. St. Louis was given no such promise… and in fact, failed a few times and Didn’t get a new team, until 1985.
By then, I was 21… had been a Cardinal fan for 21 years, and an Arizona (or Pheonix) Cardinal fan, for 8… so I wasn’t choosing another city over mine… I was choosing another city over none…
Now, I root for the Rams, but my #1 team is still the Cardinals.
All of that being said, coupled with what you said in your previous response, in all honesty, shows me to be the Bigger and more loyal Cardinals fan. I’m willing to follow them from city to city, while you (rightfully your choice to make, which I respect) state that you wouldn’t.
In the real world, honestly, brother… we could and should be friends. It was your exclusionary statement that caused any rift whatsoever. The rest of this has become tit for tat and ridiculous hyperbole for “I’m more right than you”.
What I’d rather do (after you respond to my above statements, which I’m sure you will do), is get along and root, together, for the Arizona Cardinals… b/c in my life… I have known, personally… about 5 actual Arizona Cardinal fans, b/c I don’t live there. I live in Chicago… and there is 1 other dude here. Crazy.
Good luck to you, man.
Myers
by Myers on Sep 27, 2010 1:55 PM MST reply actions
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