Drew Stanton has started games in the NFL before, but he always knew it was a short-term thing that would end within a few weeks. That’s not the case now in Arizona, where Stanton is the starter for the rest of the season -- a season that the Cardinals think will end in the Super Bowl.
With that in mind, Stanton is excited by what he has in front of him: A chance to go from a career backup to a quarterback who leads his team to a championship.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity,” Stanton said. “I’ve never been given this kind of a chance to play this many games. I’m focused on this week and I know how precious every single snap is. I had that opportunity earlier in the year and had that concussion that set me back a little bit. You can’t look ahead, especially with circumstances like that. You’re focused on that week at hand and focused on this day. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am.”
The Cardinals are contractually committed to Carson Palmer and fully expect him to be their starter again in 2015. But even if he’s viewed as a career backup, Stanton is a starter now. And he’s hoping to become the 2014 version of Jeff Hostetler.
