Former 49er's QB Gabbert Signs with Cardinals

Blaine Gabbert just signed a 1 year contract with the Arizona Cardinals, via a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Blaine Gabbert gets ready for a throw in a 49ers uniform.
(Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Gabbert started only 5 games last year for the 49ers, before losing his starting job to Colin Kaepernick, who was not much of an improvement. During those 5 starts, Gabbert had a 68.4 quarterback rating, which would have been the lowest in the NFL last year, via ESPN.

Gabbert will battle Drew Stanton for the 2nd string spot behind starter Carson Palmer. Stanton appears to have the edge as of right now, but this could change when training camps start. 

This spot is not to be taken lightly as Palmer is nearing retirement. He is 37 years old right now and the Cardinals need to find his successor, since he will probably only play another season or two. 

The Cardinals failed to address this issue in the NFL Draft two weeks ago. Some draft experts expected them to pick a quarterback in the first round, such as Patrick Mahomes II out of Texas Tech. Mahomes was drafted 3 picks before the Cardinals could grab him by the Kansas City Chiefs.

For now, Stanton and Gabbert provide solid fallback options for when Palmer retires. Both quarterbacks have several career starts for NFL teams and could lead the Cardinals for part of if not a full season until the Cardinals find their next franchise quarterback.