Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said it was "a tough call" choosing between John Skelton and Kevin Kolb, and we believe it.
This wasn't a quarterback competition that produced a clear winner. Neither player ran with the opportunity, leaving Whisenhunt to go more on feeling than tangible results.
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Kolb is on the losing end, his $7 million salary moving to the bench. It's bad news for him, and a black eye for the organization that paid so lavishly to bring him aboard last year.
"He took it like a pro. He was disappointed as you would expect for him to be," Whisenhunt told NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano on Friday's "NFL Total Access." "He's a competitive player, but he also know that he has to be ready. And in today's NFL, the chances of your quarterback making it through the entire season are not that great. So, understandably, as anyone would be, he was disappointed, but he handled himself well."
Whisenhunt made it clear that Skelton will need to play at an expected level to stay on the field.
"I think it's just like any other position," the coach said. "This is a competitve business. If you're not producing, then you're going to make changes -- doesn't matter whether you're a cornerback, a receiver or a running back, a tight end -- that's the way we evaluate all of the positions. So, it's really going to be based on how John handles it, and we expect him to have success."
Skelton could have the shortest leash of any starting quarterback in the NFL. The Cardinals are waving the white flag on Kolb with this decision, but they won't hesitate to kick the tires one more time if the opportunity presents itself.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
