Blaine Gabbert is back, baby.
The Arizona Cardinals announced Friday that Gabbert will start at quarterback against the Houston Texans on Sunday, coach Bruce Arians said.
Backup quarterback Drew Stanton, who was already filling in for the injured Carson Palmer, is dealing with a knee injury and is questionable for the game. It's not yet clear whether Stanton will suit up as Gabbert's backup. Matt Barkley is also on the roster.
This will be Gabbert's first start since Week 5 of 2016 for the San Francisco 49ers, after which he was benched for Colin Kaepernick. In six games played last year, Gabbert completed 56.9 percent of his passes for 925 yards, five touchdowns and six picks with a 68.4 passer rating.
Gabbert has not played a regular season game this season. The former first-round selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars has a career record of 9-31.
At 4-5 in a contentious NFC playoff picture, the Cardinals can't afford any major setbacks or losses from here on out. Lucky for Arizona, Gabbert enters the fray just as the Cards are taking on one of the league's coldest secondaries in Houston. Since the bye, the Texans have given up 354.7 passing yards per game in three losses to Russell Wilson, Jacoby Brissett and Jared Goff. Paired with Adrian Peterson and Larry Fitzgerald, the mobile quarterback has the opportunity to pilot an effective attack against their struggling AFC South opponents.
So get ready, football universe: Blaine Gabbert vs. Tom Savage is a real thing coming to your TV screens this Sunday, whether you like it or not.
