The Arizona Cardinals might have signed quarterback Derek Anderson as a backup. Lucky for them and him, he didn't see it that way.
"Any camp I've gone into, regardless what the situation was, I focused on trying to be the starting quarterback," Anderson said.
The attitude explains in part why he beat out heir-apparent Matt Leinart and will start Sunday when the Rams host the Cardinals at the Edward Jones Dome.
Leinart seemed ready to take the reins of the Cardinals' offense when Kurt Warner retired at the end of last season. Until the team signed Anderson in mid-March, Leinart was the only quarterback on the roster, and Anderson's credentials seemed to mark him as a backup.
"I didn't really know for sure what we had when we brought Derek in," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "We told him when he came in here for the free-agent visit that he would have an opportunity to compete for the starting spot. To be fair, I thought he would start as a backup. To his credit, his body of work over that time has been one of continued improvement."
Anderson played in the Pro Bowl after the 2007 season, when the Browns finished 10-6. The next year, though, Cleveland showed its appreciation by drafting Notre Dame QB and Ohio native Brady Quinn in the first round. Neither Quinn nor Anderson seized the job through two seasons. Last year, Anderson started seven games but completed only 44.9 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Browns released him in early March.
"We didn't get too caught up on what happened the last two years in Cleveland," Whisenhunt said. "We evaluated him on what we saw."
Anderson saw an opening, based on Leinart's pro résumé. After earning the 2004 Heisman Trophy and being picked 10th overall in 2006, Leinart started just 17 NFL games, completing 57.1 percent of his passes for 3,893 yards and 14 touchdowns with 20 interceptions. Anderson said he welcomed the release and used the opportunity to fine-tune his footwork with quarterbacks coach Chris Miller.
Their stats through the first two preseason games were comparable, but Whisenhunt said Anderson pulled ahead of Leinart in the third game, against Chicago. He started, completing seven of 12 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.
"We made some plays, which was something that we needed to do," Whisenhunt said. "That was the starting point. I looked at where he started and where he is now and how much he improved."
Whisenhunt also suggested that team chemistry seemed better with the 6-6 Anderson than Leinart.
"I think the guys were excited when he was in there," Whisenhunt said. "We had a little different energy."
Leinart was released Saturday after the Cardinals couldn't work out a trade, then signed a one-year deal with the Houston Texans a day later.
Though Warner's legacy has raised expectations in Arizona, Anderson said working with receivers such as Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston made his job easier.
"I think I focus on me and getting the ball in their hands and letting those guys make plays," Anderson said. "That makes it easier, not as much stress on yourself."
