In an offseason that has featured rumblings from Arizona regarding discontent with new starting quarterback Matt Leinart, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt now says that the 10th overall pick in the 2006 draft is moving in the right direction.
“You see it in [Matt’s] confidence, how he runs the huddle and how he sees the plays,” Whisenhunt said, per Darren Urban of the team’s official website. “His reads are much more decisive. He is throwing the ball with confidence. And I think he knows what is in front of him.
“It’s obvious to me he’s more comfortable with the whole process, not just throwing a pass or knowing where guys line up. He understands the concepts of the plays and he has the ability to get us in and out of certain plays, all those things you see more assuredness from him. I am excited with what he has done in the OTAs so far.”
“My confidence is back,” Leinart said. “It’s hard to explain . . . but I am good. I have to keep progressing but I can’t wait. I kind of want to just jump-start to the season and play. It’s coming easier to me than it ever has.”
It all sounds good, but the reality is that Leinart has failed in the past to secure the confidence of a head coach who didn’t draft him, prompting the surprise (at the time) decision to go with Kurt Warner as the starter at the outset of the 2008 season.
And given that we’ve learned never to take anything that an NFL coach publicly says at face value, Whisenhunt’s decision to talk up Leinart could simply be aimed at holding down the financial demands that could be made if/when the Cardinals decide to make a play for March Bulger.