Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback (yes, he's still the starter) Kevin Kolb got his first action in practice on Wednesday since injuring his foot against the Ravens three weeks ago. Kolb split time with John Skelton, getting about 35-40 percent of the reps. Kolb also got in some additional work with the practice squad just to help shake the rust off.
"Physically, it's where I wanted it to be," Kolb said.
Mentally, he said things were moving fast as too be expected in his first day back on the field in "live" action. He reported soreness in the foot but said it's not from the injury as much as "working out the kinks".
Kolb was able to plant and push in the pocket but there's still concern about how he'll react to unexpected situations in a live game. And while he isn't worried about it, Kevin agreed that the training staff might have some concern about playing on artificial turf on Sunday which has less give and can lead to more foot injuries(hence the term "turn toe").
Overall Kolb said he was very optimistic about his chances to play against the St. Louis Rams.
It's not all positive, however, as Kolb still isn't 100 percent medically cleared and coach Ken Whisenhunt points out that the decision isn't all about his foot.
"There's a lot of things you've got to consider. He hadn't played in a couple of weeks so you've got to make sure he's comfortable with the plan and that he's ready to operate. That's all what this week is for," Whisenhunt said, adding,
"He fell right back into it after a couple of snaps as far as the mechanics of (the offense). Calling it, understanding it, getting those things done."
John Skelton said he will take whatever reps he can get in practice although he agreed that it does make it more difficult to prepare when you don't get all the snaps.
Skelton certainly seemed like he wants another chance to redeem himself after last Sunday's miserable performance against the Rams, "It's a negative having a game like that on your resume but at the same time you still have opportunities down the road to improve on it."
The bottom line is, Kolb made a huge step forward towards returning to the field. If his foot responds well and he has no set-backs it seems like he has a very good chance of starting Sunday.