John Skelton will start at quarterback for Cardinals in Week 1

Not as funny if you're Larry Fitzgerald. (Getty Images)

The Cardinals quarterback battle between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton this preseason had all the drama of a highway scooter chase, but Arizona remains the one team in the NFL without a sure-fire starting quarterback.

Until now: CBSSports.com's Clark Judge reports that the decision is in and that the Cards will roll with Skelton for their Week 1 matchup against the Seahawks. Adam Caplan of TheSidelineView.com first reported the news.

However, this doesn't necessarily mean that it was a) a slam-dunk decision or b) that this is permanent. Witness Clark's caveat:

Told by league source that, yes, in fact Skelton will start for Cards in Week 1. Now the question: Who starts in Week 17?

— Clark Judge (@ClarkJudgeCBS) August 31, 2012

When Caplan tweeted on the decision earlier, he noted that Skelton "will start at QB for the Cardinals at least in [Week 1]."

As you're probably aware, when a coach names a starting quarterback, he does on a pretty permanent basis. Quarterbacks can lose their job, but the intention is to roll with the guy who got the starting nod until something disastrous happens.

This doesn't appear to be the case in Arizona, where it sure looks like Skelton's been put on the shortest of leashes. A bad game against a sneaky-good Seahawks defense could result in him giving way to Kolb after (or even during) the first week of the season. A great game could keep him under center for a while. And this folks, is probably how things will go for Arizona all season.

At some point -- possibly as soon as Friday afternoon -- Ken Whisenhunt will address the media and officially flip a coin announce his decision.

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