"Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart exercised some diplomacy last week when talking about being made a former starter. On Monday, however, Leinart didn't hold back, saying he must have lost his job to Derek Anderson for reasons other than performance

"I feel like I've outplayed the competition, training camp, preseason," he said. "I think my play speaks about that. For me, this goes beyond the football field.

"The philosophy is you want the best 11 guys to play. I feel like I've proved that with my performance. I don't really know what else I could possibly do, so it probably goes beyond football. For me, I just really want an explanation, and I haven't been given one."

Leinart said just after noon Monday that he had not met with Whisenhunt, but later the two met in Whisenhunt's office.

"I don't know if there have been equal opportunities," Leinart said. "Obviously, I haven't played as much as I'd like."

Whisenhunt announced the quarterback change Thursday, saying his offense needed a spark after not playing well in the first two preseason games.

Anderson started Saturday in a 14-9 victory over the Bears, and Whisenhunt declined Monday to say who will start against the Redskins on Thursday in the final preseason game. He didn't provide a timetable for naming a starter for the regular season, either.

"I've been with Matt for four years now. I have great respect for how Matt's worked," Whisenhunt said. "I think what we've been consistent with is . . . always trying to pick the best team. That's what this process is about. It's not about whether you like somebody or don't like somebody."

Whisenhunt said he has "great affection" for Leinart, and that players are always welcome to come to his office for a talk.

"Since Day 1, I've had an open-door policy," Whisenhunt said. "If he feels like there's an issue, then I'm certainly (open) to talk to him."

Making a decision at quarterback is about trying to find the best fit for the team, Whisenhunt said. The choice won't be made solely upon statistics but also chemistry with teammates and leadership ability."