Matt Leinart News: Pro Sports Daily

Leinart to attend Cancer Awareness presentation

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October 9

Arizona Republic

"Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart will participate in a special presentation to support Breast Cancer Awareness month Friday night at halftime of the Gilbert Perry at Tempe Marcos De Niza football game. Leinart will help recognize Marcos De Niza staff member and breast-cancer survivor Lisa Berkley during the ceremony and present her with a jersey."

Leinart is improved, more mature

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September 1

Arizona Republic

"During his short time with the Cardinals, Matt Leinart has seen more flip-flops from his so-called critics than he'd expect to find at a California beach resort. At first, he was adored and christened as the future savior of the franchise. Before he knew it, he would be labeled a bust; a great college quarterback who couldn't hack it with the big boys in the NFL. The jury is still out on the former golden boy - as it seemingly always is with Leinart. But his performance this preseason, especially during the second half of Friday night's game against the Green Bay Packers, has got the skeptics in a tizzy. After passing for 360 yards and three touchdowns in a game where the first-team ..."

Cards notes: Leinart impresses coach

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August 26

Arizona Republic

"Ken Whisenhunt still isn't ready to formally announce who the backup quarterback will be to Kurt Warner this season, even though most people assume it again will be Matt Leinart. Brian St. Pierre remains in contention, but when talking about Leinart on Tuesday, the Cardinals head coach sounded very impressed with what he's been seeing. "I think at that position there's an evolution you have to go into and with what I've seen from Matt, I think it's maturity," Whisenhunt said. "He understands what he has to do to be successful. A lot of times as a young player, you don't understand what it takes." Losing the starting job to Warner out of training camp last year taught Leinart humility and ..."

Cards' Leinart worked out with Brady

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June 4

Arizona Republic

"Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart sought help from an unlikely source in an even more unlikely place this off-season. The Southern California graduate worked out a few times with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady at UCLA. The location made sense because Brady has a home near the campus, and Norm Chow, the former offensive coordinator at USC, is now an assistant at UCLA. Leinart said he also knows UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, but just being with Brady was like hanging out with Ferris Bueller. "I figured if I'm running with him (Brady), he can do whatever," Leinart said, laughing. "It was funny, we were out there one day, just me and him, and their whole team comes out. They were in off-season ..."

Leinart looks all grown up

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May 22

Arizona Republic

columnist Dan Bickley

"The pretty boy is growing older, and the party-boy pictures aren't popping up on the Internet anymore. Matt Leinart has rarely looked better. He is somewhat chiseled now, hardened by a new commitment to the weight room and life in the NFL. He takes pride in being the second-team quarterback. He is 26 years old and beginning to make very smart choices. "A lot of this goes to the maturity of Matt," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "A lot of times (backup quarterbacks) are guys who have had tremendous success in the past, and they don't handle the role very well. And then when it comes time for them to play, they're not prepared. They don't play well. "I have to give credit to Matt, ..."

Leinart not looking for trade

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March 8

Arizona Republic

"If Kurt Warner remains the Cardinals' starting quarterback for the length of his new two-year contract, backup Matt Leinart faces the prospect of not becoming an NFL starter until 2011, when he's 28. But Leinart, who has three years remaining on his contract, doesn't plan to ask the Cardinals to trade him. "I'm under contract here, and I'm not looking for a trade," Leinart said Saturday during a lunch break in a flag-football fundraiser for Warner's foundation. "I'm here to compete. I know Kurt's a great quarterback and he's the starter going in, obviously, but I'm going to compete. That's the mind-set you have to have." Leinart was the 10th overall pick in the 2006 draft and lost the ..."

Matt Leinart has learned, dealt with demotion

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January 30

Tennessean

"He was anointed the starting quarterback as a rookie, a blossoming first-round pick who was supposed to be the leader of the franchise from that day forward. In his third NFL season, however, he took a back seat to a veteran because the coaching staff and management didn't fully trust him, didn't think he was mature enough to handle pressure. Vince Young in Tennessee? Yes, but the scenario also fits Matt Leinart in Arizona. Young and Leinart, rivals in the thrilling Rose Bowl that concluded the 2005 season, already shared uncanny similarities coming into this season. Now they share uncertain futures. They were the first two quarterbacks selected in the 2006 NFL Draft, with Young going ..."

Leinart accepts role with grace

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January 29

East Valley Tribune

columnist Scott Bordow

"Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart has suffered a lot of indignities in his short NFL career. Injuries to his shoulder and collarbone. Losing his job to Kurt Warner. The beer bong photos. And there he was on Media Day Tuesday, standing by himself while punter Ben Graham sat at a podium. "The first three years wasn't how I would have drawn it up coming out of college," Leinart said. Leinart did expect to be in the Super Bowl, but not as a backup whose talent, maturity and character have been questioned. It's been a long, hard fall from his days at USC. "I was asked if it was bittersweet being here," Leinart said. "No, it's not. It's sweet being here. Obviously, you want to be able to play ..."

Leinart handling Super Bowl non-role with class

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January 29

Philadelphia Inquirer

columnist Phil Sheridan

"Matt Leinart gets the joke the football fates have played on him. Three years after being anointed a franchise quarterback, he is preparing for the Super Bowl. It is just what you'd expect from the Heisman Trophy-winning, all-world star from Southern Cal.The punchline, of course, is that Leinart will watch from the sideline as 37-year-old Kurt Warner completes his own Hall of Fame resume."It's sweet" to be here, Leinart said. "Starting in the Super Bowl may be a little sweeter, but I'm happy to be here. Obviously, you want to play. There's no bitter feelings. You don't get to this point very often. This is as sweet as it gets."He almost managed to sound like he meant it. Leinart deserves ..."

A coverage matchup that could be Taylor-made for stardom

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January 29

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

columnist Ron Cook

"What a fabulous moment in time: the best cover cornerback in NFL history setting up to interview the young corner who has to be the best cover guy on the field Sunday if the Steelers are going to win Super Bowl XLIII. Ike Taylor doesn't appear to be the least bit intimidated by the idea of trying to stop Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. But Taylor clearly was in awe when Deion Sanders stopped by to chat. " 'Prime Time,' " Taylor said, quietly. "That's who I've always wanted to be like." His answers to Sanders' questions for the NFL Network weren't nearly as interesting as their conversation afterward. Taylor asked if he could ship Sanders his game tapes to be critiqued. ..."

Matt Leinart says starting job in the Cards one day

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January 28

New York Daily News

columnist Gary Myers

"Kurt Warner was seated at his own podium. So were Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Ken Whisenhunt. Even punter Ben Graham, the ex-Jet with a story to tell about Australian football, had a podium. Team president Mike Bidwill and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were among those seated in the stands next to a sign with their names on it. What's wrong with this picture from Tuesday's Super Bowl media day? Roaming around the sidelines at Raymond James Stadium among the backup linemen with no podium or sign was Matt Leinart, the former Heisman Trophy winner who was supposed to save the franchise. The biggest news he's made in his three years with the Cardinals is when a picture popped up on ..."

Matt Leinart admires job Matt Cassel did with Patriots

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January 28

Boston Herald

"Former USC quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Matt Leinart may have experienced a bit of role reversal this season, but that hasn’t stopped Leinart from cheering on his former backup. During media day yesterday for Super Bowl XLIII, Leinart spoke of the friendship he fostered with Cassel while sharing a locker at USC for five years, and how he hopes the Patriots quarterback can parlay what he accomplished this season into a starting job next year. “I’m happy for Matt. He knows that. We were really, really close in college. We remain pretty close now,” said Leinart, who indicated Cassel would arrive at the Super Bowl today to make appearances. “I was just happy for him and proud of him. We’re all ..."

Cardinals' Super Bowl Trip Has Leinart Studying Again

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January 27

New York Times

"Matt Leinart wants you to know he is fine. Really. "I'm great," he said last week. "I get to go to the Super Bowl." Leinart, the Cardinals' third-year quarterback, smiled as he spoke. But seeing the veteran Kurt Warner lead the Arizona franchise out of the desert has to have been hard, and later in the 10-minute interview he said, "It's a weird thing." If Leinart feels like the father of the bride watching another man walk her down the aisle, there is a reason. Before Arizona became the 37-year-old Warner's team, it was entrusted to the 25-year-old Leinart, the franchise's future and his own entwined like the laces on a football. Drafted at No. 10 over all by the Cardinals in 2006, ..."

Leinart plays waiting game

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January 21

Orange County Register

columnist Marcia C. Smith

"The University of Phoenix Stadium vibrated Sunday night, shaking as violently as a three-footed washer in a spin cycle. White towels spun above howling heads; red and white confetti blanketed the field; and the newly crowned NFC champion Arizona Cardinals could feel their history changing. But nothing really had changed for Matt Leinart, former Cardinals first-round draft pick, former NFL starter, former USC All-America quarterback, former Heisman Trophy winner and former leader of two national championships for the Trojans. His glory, as of now, remains in his past. He's a reluctant backup with a $50.8 million contract, no grass stains on his uniform, no perspiration on his No. 7 jersey ..."

ABCs of the Cardinals' turnaround

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January 16

East Valley Tribune

columnist Scott Bordow

"It all began with Dennis Green. When the calendar turned to 2004, the Cardinals were still regarded as one of the worst-run organizations in professional sports. They were coming off a 4-12 season. They had fired coach Dave McGinnis. Their signing of free agent running back Emmitt Smith was ridiculed throughout the NFL. Cardinals not giving up on re-signing Boldin Cards aim to Prove It But in April of that year, Green began the metamorphosis that transformed the Cardinals. His first three draft picks were wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Karlos Dansby and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett. In the fifth round, he selected defensive end Antonio Smith. The influx of talent wouldn't ..."

In long run, Matt Cassel beats out Matt Leinart

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December 22

Boston Herald

columnist Ron Borges

"Each Sunday that goes by, the mystery deepens. If Sherlock Holmes were asked how in the world Matt Cassel ever rode the bench behind an Arizona Cardinals scrub named Matt Leinart, he might well say, “Elementary, Ben Watson.” But for the rest of the world it is a head-scratching proposition. Yesterday it could all have been explained had Leinart come off the bench to lead the slovenly Cardinals back from a 44-0 deficit when he replaced Kurt Warner late in the third quarter at snowy Gillette Stadium. But he did not lead them anywhere but deeper into the abyss in what ended as a 47-7 Patriots victory. The first two times he was given jurisdiction over the ball Leinart gave it back as thought ..."

Leinart's future tied to Warner's

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October 28

Arizona Republic

"After losing the Cardinals starting quarterback job to Kurt Warner in late August, Matt Leinart dropped out of society, grew a long beard and is now working the graveyard shift at a convenience store in Quartzsite. At least it seems that way. When an NFL starting quarterback is healthy and playing well, the backup quarterback is equivalent to the crazy uncle at a family reunion: No one pays much attention to him unless he acts up. Warner is making headlines, and Leinart is staying out of them. Not that Leinart is content with his role - he wants to play - but after the notoriety he gained last off-season, a little quiet is a good thing. "It's nice from that aspect, just to be under the ..."

QBs Young & Leinart: From can't miss to can't figure

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September 11

Dallas Morning News

Columnist Tim Cowlishaw

"Thirty-two months ago, they were on top of the football world. It's hard to say who has fallen farther, Matt Leinart or Vince Young. They were the quarterbacks in the spotlight of the greatest BCS championship game ever played. USC's Leinart was outstanding. Texas' Young was even better. I couldn't imagine how either one could miss as an NFL quarterback. Leinart seemed to have a great arm and an uncanny ability to make plays at the biggest moments. It was speculated that he would have been the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft had he not chosen to stay for his senior year. There were always concerns about Young's throwing motion, and the offense he ran at Texas was anything but pro style. ..."

Angry Leinart running out of chances

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September 2

East Valley Tribune

columnist Scott Bordow

"Matt Leinart always thought he'd be here, standing under a tree at the Cardinals training facility, answering questions on the Monday before the regular season. It's a weekly ritual for the Cardinals starting quarterback. As players trudge into the locker room, their jerseys stained with sweat, the quarterback steps up on a podium and takes care of his media responsibilities. It's usually a painless exercise, the questions - and answers - routine and practiced. But on Monday, two quarterbacks took their turn. Leinart was first. Kurt Warner was second. Leinart, as you might imagine, didn't appreciate the irony. Oh, he said all the right things. He supports Warner. He's going to work hard. ..."

Leinart stays positive after demotion

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September 2

Arizona Republic

"Two days after losing his starting job, Matt Leinart didn't look like a guy who needed his spirits lifted or confidence bolstered. Dripping sweat and preaching teamwork, Leinart said all the right things to reporters on Monday and, more importantly to the Cardinals, appeared to mean them. "I'm disappointed, but you can't get down," Leinart said about losing his job to Kurt Warner. "It was tough to take because we're all competitors; we all want to play. But it did push me. It did make me a better quarterback, I think, and I'm just going to take that and keep on getting better." Leinart's demotion already has prompted discussion about his future in the NFL, even though he's just 25. ..."

QB decision a crossroads for 2 QBs

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September 1

Arizona Republic

columnist Kent Somers

"Ken Whisenhunt has employed a tough love approach in the 20 months or so he's coached quarterback Matt Leinart. No coddling was offered, no unearned compliments were given, no sweet nothings whispered. The way the head coach and offensive coordinator Todd Haley figured it, if Leinart responded, the Cardinals had a quarterback who had been steeled by adversity, a guy who would produce in tough times. And if he didn't respond, well, better to find out now and move on. Whisenhunt's announcement Saturday that Leinart had been demoted in favor of Kurt Warner would seem to suggest that Leinart failed an initial part of the test. It's a suggestion Whisenhunt firmly denies. Instead, the coach has ..."

Cards name Warner starter

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August 31

Arizona Republic

"Eight months passed. A few thousand of passes were thrown. Nearly as many questions were asked. And, still, picking the Cardinals starting quarterback came down to this: Coach Ken Whisenhunt staying up most of Friday night and into Saturday morning to evaluate the performance of Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner. In the end, the central question was this: Who gives the Cardinals the best chance to win the season opener in San Francisco next Sunday? Whisenhunt picked Warner, who had spent every day of those eight months as Leinart's backup. "There was a lot of opinions, from all different sources," Whisenhunt said. "I know our staff, and I know I didn't buy into it. There was a process that ..."

Leinart makes case to start

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August 30

East Valley Tribune

"If you like soap operas, you had to love Friday night's exhibition finale for the Cardinals. By playing a sharp game, Matt Leinart may have poured some more sand through the hourglass in the team's long-running quarterback saga. Leinart directed the Cardinals on a 90-yard scoring drive and finished with a passer rating of 137.5 in the Cardinals' 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos at University of Phoenix Stadium. Leinart seemed nearly out of the starting picture after his poor showing in Oakland last week. After the game, according to ESPN, an unnamed "team source" said Kurt Warner would be named the starter. But against the Broncos, who played their reserves on both sides of the ball, ..."

Leinart bounces back vs. Broncos

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August 30

Arizona Republic

"Maybe Matt Leinart reinserted himself in the Cardinals quarterback competition Friday night. Or maybe he was never out of it. Whatever the case, Leinart was as sharp against Denver on Friday night as he was dull against Oakland last week. He guided the Cardinals on two touchdown drives, completing 10 of 14 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals lost 28-14 in their fourth and final preseason game, but that outcome was determined long after Leinart left the game. Leinart either complicated coach Ken Whisenhunt's decision about which quarterback to start - Leinart or Kurt Warner - or simplified it. Maybe Whisenhunt was leaning toward Warner. Maybe it's been Leinart all along. ..."

Leinart makes strong case to be Cards starting QB

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August 30

Rocky Mountain News

"Based on his performance here in the preseason, quarterback Matt Leinart gave the Arizona Cardinals every reason to bench the Heisman Trophy winner. Until he met the Denver Broncos. On Friday night, the Broncos secondary was as generous to Leinart as the Arizona media and fans have been hostile. Coming into the final preseason game. Leinart had completed 18-of-31 passes for 177 yards and one touchdown. His completion rating was a poor 58.1 percent and his quarterback rating plummeted to 45.4. Last week against Oakland, Leinart went 4-for-12 for 24 yards and threw three picks. So pitiful was his production that Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt started 11-year veteran Kurt Warner on Friday ..."

Whisenhunt: Leinart is still Cards' starting QB

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August 26

East Valley Tribune

"Every Monday during football season, the Cardinals' starting quarterback stands on a podium beneath a shade tree to address reporters at the team's Tempe training complex. So, the question of just who is the team's starting quarterback was answered - for now - when Matt Leinart stood beneath the tree. "It's still the same," Leinart said Monday of his status. "Nothing has changed," coach Ken Whisenhunt echoed. But doubts linger after an ESPN report on Sunday that quoted an unnamed "team source" that not only said Kurt Warner would replace Leinart, but also criticized Leinart's performance level and arm strength. Whisenhunt indicated that he did not know the identity of the source and said ..."

Letting Warner start Cards' only choice

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August 25

East Valley Tribune

columnist Scott Bordow

"If Ken Whisenhunt is a man of his word - and I believe he is - Kurt Warner will be the Cardinals' starting quarterback when they open the regular season in 13 days. What choice does Whisenhunt have? He said before training camp that Warner would have an opportunity to win the job from Matt Leinart. He told Warner the same thing. Given those promises, there's no way Whisenhunt can stick with Leinart after his horrid three-interception performance against the Oakland Raiders on Saturday. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday that Warner is "expected" to be named the starter, and that the Cardinals have concerns about Leinart's arm strength and consistency. I don't know who Mortensen's ..."

Warner named Cards starting QB

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August 25

East Valley Tribune

"Kurt Warner will be named the Cardinals' starting quarterback after Matt Leinart's poor performance Saturday night in Oakland, according to an ESPN report. Leinart had three interceptions in the first half and had a quarterback rating of just 2.8. He completed 4 of 12 passes for 24 yards. Despite this, the Cardinals won the game behind Warner and a strong running game, pulling away in the second half 24-0. The ESPN report cited an unnamed team source. The report was news to Chuck Price, Leinart's agent, who said, "I've been in touch with Matt and we haven't heard anything." After Saturday's game, coach Ken Whisenhunt tried to downplay the importance of Leinart's poor game, instead ..."

Leinart to start, Warner to play at Oakland

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August 19

East Valley Tribune

"The Cardinals' quarterback situation will seesaw back to a Matt Leinart start on Saturday at Oakland. Kurt Warner could come in late in the first half, particularly if the Cardinals have a chance to work on their two-minute offense, and he figures to play a fair amount in the second half, coach Ken Whisenhunt said. The third preseason game is the one that most resembles a regular-season game. Normally, that would mean Leinart playing well into the third quarter, assuming he's the starter. Whisenhunt, though, said both quarterbacks know the system, and he'll continue to divide the playing time. "There are components of our offense that we want to see Matt execute and there are certain ..."

Leinart satisfied with performance

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August 19

Arizona Republic

"Opening the starting quarterback position to competition is a little like trying to sell your home via an open house. Total strangers explore every little nook and cranny for imperfections. Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart is trying not to get caught up in that. He breaks down plays with coaches and teammates, but he said he doesn't live in fear that an errant pass, a wrong read or a bad pass(when the quarterback drops back to pass) will prompt coaches to give the starting job to Kurt Warner. A player can't function like that, Leinart said. "That's not the way I approach it," he said. "No one is perfect. No one is going to make the play every single time. Obviously, there's going to be ..."

Maturity, 'urgency' arrive for Cardinals' Leinart

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August 12

USA Today

"Matt Leinart dug into his pocket for his wallet, producing a snapshot of the Arizona Cardinal holding son, Cole, who turns 2 in October.Leinart's bright smile provides a glimpse of where the third-year quarterback appears to be in his personal and professional life. "He's about the size of a 3-year-old," Leinart says of Cole. "He's right-handed, which I'm kind of bummed about. We're trying to get him to be a lefty. "I'm a proud dad. Fatherhood changes you and forces you to grow up." His son is Leinart's biggest, but not his lone incentive to shine. Arizona's presumptive 2008 starter is, in a sense, starting over. The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner out of Southern California is re-dedicated to ..."

Cards notes: Leinart will stay in game in red zone

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August 12

East Valley Tribune

"The Cardinals can't improve much on last year's performance in the red zone. They scored 94 percent of the time they had the ball inside the 20-yard line. That ranked No. 2, behind only the New England Patriots. What's different this year is that Matt Leinart - assuming he hangs onto the No. 1 quarterback job - figures to be calling the shots. Kurt Warner, even when he was backing up Leinart, came in when the Cardinals had a goal-line situation. This year, indications are that the starter will be in the game no matter where the offense has the ball. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said Leinart is "much better this year" in terms of changing plays at the line. "When you get down there, that's ..."

Leinart shows what he can do when comfortable

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August 8

East Valley Tribune

columnist Scott Bordow

"Matt Leinart couldn't go anywhere Thursday night without ESPN's cameras following him. The cable network knew a good story when it saw one. Leinart's job - and reputation - are on the line this season. He has to fight off Kurt Warner - which he'll do unless he gets hurt - then put to rest the perception he's a party animal first and a football player second. Leinart took the first step in rehabilitating his image in the Cardinals' 24-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints at University of Phoenix Stadium. His numbers - 7 of 8 for 91 yards - weren't as impressive as the way he accumulated them. He was accurate with his throws. He was patient in the pocket. He never seemed anxious or confused ..."