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Get ready for a start by Logan Thomas

All signs point to the rookie getting the start.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

It is only Wednesday, but the feeling you get coming out of Tempe at the Arizona Cardinals team facility is not one where they are feeling confident about either Carson Palmer or Drew Stanton being available on Sunday to start against the Washington Redskins.

Carson Palmer, while he felt good after throwing on Tuesday, only threw about 40 passes and did so at about "35-40 percent," according to Bruce Arians and Palmer himself.

Drew Stanton was cleared to throw, but has not passed the concussion protocol.

That meant the rookie fourth rounder, Logan Thomas, got all the first team reps on Wednesday.

Palmer is hoping to "ramp things up" in the days to come, but he didn't sound like a man who thought he was going to play this week. He has two days of practice left to be able to throw a full practice and he still isn't past 40 throws or so. Today in the open part of practice, Palmer did do some throwing, but it was nowhere near full strength.

Plus, Palmer said he was still planning on heading back up to Denver on Friday to meet with the doctors who helped wake up his nerve last weekend.

To me, that says Palmer is pretty much out of the picture.

The Cardinals will be lucky to get a win on Sunday if they have Thomas out there.


Stanton? He's not cleared to fully practice. At this point, a best case scenario is getting to take all the reps on Friday.

So, bring on Logan.

The situation is about as ideal as you can make it for the rookie. He got his first game reps out of the way last weekend. He threw for a touchdown already, so he has tasted success.

The game will be in front of the home crowd, where the team has been very good. They are playing as bad a team as you can find in the NFC in Washington, who stand now at 1-4 and have lost 12 of their last 13 games overall.

The Cardinals have also had rookie quarterbacks win games at University of Phoenix Stadium. Max Hall did it against the Saints in 2010. John Skelton did it against the Cowboys the season. Ryan Lindley got a win at home against the Lions in 2012.

Here's the issue. There is nothing about what we saw out of Thomas that makes you feel like you can win a football game. In each of those other contests, they got plays from special teams and the defense. This year's defensive unit is suddenly a M.A.S.H unit without several of its best players. Special teams has had its issues.

So, with Logan Thomas, even with it being an ideal situation to get a win at home and improve to 4-1 on the season, the Cardinals will be lucky to get a win on Sunday if they have Thomas out there.

I'm not saying it's impossible or even unlikely, but as positive as I like to be about this team, I cannot confidently pick Arizona to win with Thomas starting, even if it is at home against a not so good team.