clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Arizona Cardinals have okayest quarterback in Carson Palmer

This is one way to describe him.

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

We are almost done with the ubiquitous offseason lists as training camp is just around the corner. This one is almost humorous. USA Today ranks the five "okayest quarterbacks of 2015."

Who makes the top of the list? none other than Arizona Cardinals starter Carson Palmer.

Palmer is the quintessential okay quarterback. You look at his 2014 record with the Cardinals, a team resplendent with talent, and you see that he was 6-0, averaging 270 yards, nearly two touchdowns a game and half an interception along with a 95.6 passer rating. Palmer's season was cut short due to injury, but if you project those numbers out over a 16-game season, you're looking at season comparable to that of Matthew Stafford or Ryan Tannehill. Without Palmer, Arizona went 5-5, a stark dropoff, but impressive considering they had a fourth-string quarterback for their final three games.

In contrast, Arizona had the ninth-best defense in yards allowed, and fifth-best in points conceded last season. This was a team that won through phenomenal defense and a passable offense. If Palmer stayed healthy, who knows the damage the Cardinals might have done in the playoffs.

Palmer is an interesting character in terms of play. He has some really good numbers, but has mostly been on really bad teams. As know a quarterback's most important stat is wins. He hasn't had many winning seasons. He has a reputation for turning the ball over and making throws that make you scratch your head.

But in terms of talent and leadership, he's there at the top of other of his peers.

He is a top-10 talent at the position who has had an above average career. I guess that makes him okay.

That's fine with me.

And having an okay quarterback is way better than the alternative -- having a bad situation. Heaven knows how many seasons Cardinals fans have suffered through seasons like that.

We'll take okay and hopefully win a Super Bowl with it.