It has been a pretty good week for the Skelton family. John has started at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals for the past two weeks and has been part of two consecutive victories. He became the first Cardinals QB to throw for 300+ yards and three TDs in a game since Kurt Warner and he is up for an award for his play late in the game last Sunday.
Now he has a new roommate. The team released receiver Isaiah Williams from the practice squad and signed John's brother, TE Steve Skelton to replace Williams.
At a glance it may seem odd, especially since the Cardinals already have four tight ends on their roster -- five if you also include long snapper Mike Leach, who is also a tight end. However, the position has been plagued with injuries all season. Free agent acquisition Todd Heap has missed half of the team's games so far, rookie Rob Housler has a groin injury that is keeping him out of action and second-year TE Jim Dray missed the first few games with a pectoral injury he suffered in the preseason.
Skelton was an undrafted rookie signee in the preseason and was in camp with the team. Like his brother John, he played at Fordham. He is 6-5, 250 and caught 42 passes for 443 yards and three touchdowns his last season there.
With the arrival of Skelton, it seems that the current injuries to both Heap and Housler have the team limited enough that they need another practice body at minimum.
In fact, Ken Whisenhunt jokingly intimated that he was fulfilling his part of a promise he made to brother John in Philadelphia. "I stood on the sideline and said, ‘Listen, if you complete this ball to Larry down to the one at the end of the game, we'll sign your brother to the practice squad.' I had to live up to my end of the deal," he quipped.
Don't expect him on the active roster any time soon, though. For now, he is here to give Dray and King some rest when simulating offensive sets for the defense.