Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart has taken a large number of snaps with the first-team offense the past three months, but that doesn't mean the rumors about his job security aren't just as numerous.
One day, the talk is his job isn't secure. The next, he's heading to camp as the starter, taking over for the retired Kurt Warner, with a solid hold on the job.
Some have even speculated that there's a lack of trust coming from inside the Cardinals building for Leinart, that the staff isn't enamored with him as their guy.
"I don't know where that came from," Whisenhunt said here Wednesday after a practice round for the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament. "That's not the case. He's the starter."
There, he said it. But he also added an addendum.
"I think people say that because we have competition at every position," Whisenhunt said. "I'm not going to discount that Derek Anderson is a good football player. If he plays well, he'll have his opportunity. My expectation is that Matt will continue to improve and do the things he's been doing."
Is this a quarterback controversy before camp even begins?
Whisenhunt said no. Later in our conversation, he reiterated that Leinart was the guy, but you can sense that if things don't go well, he wouldn't be hesitant to make a change.
If Leinart was the clear-cut choice, there would be a lot more raving about him, one would think. But that doesn't seem to be the case so far this offseason. This is a situation to watch, because the winner of the ARI QB job should have some fantasy value heading into this season, and could be a lower-round bargain - eventually. Leinart's only rated 22nd among QBs at 4for4, and with his ADP, he won't even get drafted in many leagues.
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