NFL odds: Time for Leinart to grow up, step up

By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook

Surely you’ve seen the pictures by now. You know, the ones of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart in a hot tub full of young ladies, or the one where he’s holding a beer bong among the same crowd. Both were taken at a party at Leinart’s house this spring, and while the former USC Trojan originally felt he did nothing wrong, now his tune has changed.

Leinart, 25, got a lecture from his coach and his advisors after the photos became a Web sensation, and he called that exposure "mistakes" and said "I have to realize I'm a role model and act like one."

While it’s nice that Leinart wants to improve his off-field image, he also has some repairing to do in the Arizona huddle. Coach Ken Whisenhunt says Leinart is the starter, but Kurt Warner and his 27 touchdown passes from 2007 wait in the wings.

“It is time for me to step up and really time for me to go out there and play," Leinart says. "I have to prove myself."

In two seasons, he has completed 56 percent of his passes and has thrown 13 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions, with his footwork mostly to blame, although some are starting to put the “brittle” tag on him after that broken collarbone finished his season last year. His QB rating was only 61.9 QB rating through five games before that injury.

 

Leinart, by all accounts, has worked diligently this offseason. He has regularly attended training sessions with strength and conditioning coach John Lott and spent time watching video with quarterbacks coach Jeff Rutledge and offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

"If you are asking me about his commitment, from what I have seen from him just in this offseason, I have no doubts about (him) wanting to be one of the best quarterbacks and working hard at that," Whisenhunt says.

Again, though, Whisenhunt hasn’t hidden the fact that Leinart is on a short leash. With star receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin to throw to, you can understand why the coach might pull the plug quickly and go back to Warner, who has shown he can thrive in this offense if he, too, stays healthy.

"It's the same thing it was when I said it back at the end of the season," Coach Ken Whisenhunt said of the quarterback situation. "Matt's our starter. Kurt's going to be there pushing. It's going to be a tough job for Matt to keep because Kurt played at a high level for us last year. Kurt's been doing a lot of work in the offseason and he's looked sharp in these drills.

"It's competition. And it's not just at quarterback. It's every position on our team.”

Arizona is +1600 to win the NFC on WagerWeb.com.