TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said Monday he wasn't ready to declare Brian Hoyer the starting quarterback for the Cardinals' final game of the season.
It seems a pretty good guess considering the problems Ryan Lindley has had, and the fact Hoyer was active and John Skelton inactive Sunday, when the Chicago Bears handed the Cardinals (5-10) their 10th loss in 11 games.
Hoyer, claimed off waivers by the Cardinals from Pittsburgh two weeks ago, would be making his first NFL start if he's the choice for Sunday's game at San Francisco, where the 49ers will be looking to clinch the NFC West.
With the 49ers certain to be cranky following their one-sided loss at Seattle, it's not exactly an ideal location for an opposing quarterback to make his debut.
In what he considered an audition, Hoyer completed 11 of 19 passes for 105 yards with one interception and no touchdowns. In fact, the Cardinals have failed to throw a TD pass in the last six games.
"Anytime you're out there on the field, it's your resume," Hoyer said. "You have to go out there and take advantage of every opportunity you're given. In New England I didn't get many opportunities to get on the field. I was excited to play the game (Sunday). It has been a while since I got to play and play an extensive role."
The trio of Skelton, Lindley and Hoyer has a combined two TDs and 17 interceptions. Several immediately became touchdowns. In the last five games, Arizona quarterbacks threw 11 interceptions and four of them have been brought back for scores. The latest, a 10-yarder by Charles Tillman, sent Lindley to the bench in favor of Hoyer early in the second half Sunday.
"There's no question that we've got to have more consistency from the quarterback position, that's the No. 1 thing," Whisenhunt said at his weekly Monday news conference. "You look at last night's (Seattle-San Francisco) game and what a difference Russell Wilson has made in Seattle with all the plays that he makes. That's what you have to have."
Quarterback will be near the top of the to-do list when the season is over, and just who is in charge of that list is an open question. Cardinals President Michael Bidwill says he will assess the situation after the final game to determine if Whisenhunt comes back for the last year of his contract. General manager Rod Graves also might be gone. If Whisenhunt stays, some of his assistants almost certainly won't.
Kolb, plagued by injuries in his two seasons in Arizona, probably would have to take a pay cut to return.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
