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Matt Leinart has always been a question mark in the NFL. Good enough to play in the league as a back-up, but does he have what it takes to make the jump and become a full time starting quarterback? Well...
First off, he's very knowledgeable. He's got seven years of NFL experience under his belt, while learning from some of the game's best, as he backed up Kurt Warner (future hall-of-famer), Matt Schuab, and Carson Palmer. Schuab and Palmer might not be considered elite, but both have intangibles and mechanics that can be learned by a young newcomer like Leinart.
However, things haven't always gone his way. Leinart never got much playing time in Arizona when he played under Warner (not surprising) and his short stint with Houston didn't go well. After starting quarterback Matt Schuab went down with a broken bone in his right foot late into the season last year, Matt Leinart was presented a golden opportunity to start for the playoff-hoping Texans and show the league what he's made of.
However, in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Leinart wound up on the sidelines too, as reports later revealed he had a broken collarbone. Rookie TJ Yates then took over and finished out the Texans' season strong and helped them reach the postseason.
And now, Leinart is in Oakland, playing yet another back-up role with the Raiders. It's unlikely that he'll start over Carson Palmer, the veteran QB who was acquired from Cincinnati last season. At least he is ahead of Terrelle Pryor on Oakland's depth chart, but with Leinart's luck, don't be surprised if Pryor makes the leap and snags his job, especially after we saw glimpses of excellence in him during the preseason.
It's sad to see this all happen to Matt Leinart, who, believe it or not, was once a Heisman-winning quarterback for the USC Trojans. Hopefully his hard work and patience will guide him to finding a starting role for himself, that he can keep for years to come.
Posted in: football,Matt Leinart,NFL,Oakland,Raiders,USC
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