Cardinals' Bruce Arians: Blaine Gabbert has the long-term potential to be a starter

In Gabbert's career, he's posted a 9-31 record and a 71.5 passer rating

By every statistic, Blaine Gabbert is a bad NFL quarterback. Since he was taken 10th overall in the 2011 draft, he's posted a 9-31 regular-season record and a 71.5 passer rating. To this point, all the evidence indicates that Gabbert is not a starting-caliber quarterback.

Bruce Arians says otherwise. On Wednesday, the Cardinals coach, who brought in Gabbert this offseason as his third-string quarterback, said that Gabbert still holds the long-term potential to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

"I've been very pleased," Arians said, per the team's website. "Short-term, I'd be very comfortable if he had to play for us. Long-term, if he continues at this rate, he could be a starter."

Arians wasn't the only member of the team who talked up Gabbert. So did Carson Palmer.

"I had worked out with him a handful of times a couple of years ago in the offseason," Palmer said. "Very aware of his skill-set. He's as talented as it gets throwing the football and moving around in the pocket and on the run. I haven't been surprised."

And so did Patrick Peterson.

"He has been very good here throughout our camp," Peterson said. "It looks like he's gotten very acclimated with our offense. Coach Arians loves him. He loves his arm strength. Hopefully he can be a guy that can help us in the future."

Before we go on, let's just note that this reads as a desperate plea for one of the many quarterback-needy teams around the league to make the Cardinals a trade offer for Gabbert, because the idea of the Cardinals keeping Gabbert on their final roster, when they already have Palmer and Drew Stanton locked in above him on the depth chart, is borderline insane. The Cardinals could be hoping someone sees Gabbert's preseason numbers and offers a late pick. 

It's also worth noting that Arians once claimed that football was under attack from moms. The point being, he's a very good coach who sometimes says weird things. Maybe he actually does believe in Gabbert's long-term potential.

This preseason, Gabbert's played well. He's completed 36 of 57 passes for 496 yards, one touchdown, one pick, and an 89.5 passer rating. He's also rushed for a score. Of course, it's the preseason, which carries just as much meaning as one of Cersei Lannister's promises.

Gabbert's numbers in situations that matter aren't great. In 43 regular-season appearances with the Jaguars and 49ers, Gabbert's completed 56 percent of his passes, averaged 6.0 yards per attempt, and posted a touchdown percentage of 3.1 and an interception percentage of 3.0. Even Blake Bortles has better numbers.

That doesn't mean Gabbert can't stick around in the league as a backup somewhere. At this point in his career, that's probably Gabbert's best-case scenario.