Cardinals' Bruce Arians says Blaine Gabbert could be 2018 answer if Carson Palmer retires

The question wasn’t all that fair given that it was mostly hypothetical. No one in the room probably thought Bruce Arians would answer it if it was asked, anyway. But it’s what everybody wanted to know on Monday.

So someone decided to ask it:

How comfortable would Arians be if Blaine Gabbert was starting for the team next season should Carson Palmer retire?

“The way he’s playing right now, I’d be very, very comfortable,” Arians said.

Could it happen?

“Oh yeah,” the Cardinals coach said, “I think that’s a possibility.”

Phil Dawson’s career-long, 57-yard field goal with a second to play allowed the Cardinals to beat the Jaguars 27-24 on Sunday, but the real story was the overall play of Gabbert, who for a second consecutive week looked like a legitimate NFL starting quarterback.

Facing the league’s top-ranked defense which was first against the pass and first in scoring defense, Gabbert completed 22 of 38 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns. He led the Cardinals on two fourth-quarter scoring drives, posted three completions of 25 or more yards – more than the Jaguars had allowed in any game this season – and he joined Philip Rivers as the only other quarterback to throw multiple touchdowns against them.

If he can duplicate that type of performance this Sunday when the Cardinals (5-6) meet the Rams (8-3) at University of Phoenix Stadium, Gabbert will help cement Arians’ confidence in him. If he can tame the Rams, Gabbert could see his audition turn into a coronation.

It doesn't mean the Cardinals still won't draft a young quarterback next year, but it could mean they won't have to rapidly accelerate his development with Gabbert already aboard.

“I’m really proud of him,” Arians said. “These things don’t happen. I mean, you hope they don’t happen very often when your top two guys go down. But we’re very blessed to have him and he has taken the bull by the horns and showing us, ‘I’m a player. I can play at this level and play very high.’ ”

There were a handful of plays specifically during one series in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game where Gabbert shined particularly bright:

Twice, he used his athleticism to scramble for first downs to sustain a scoring drive. No disrespect to the two injured quarterbacks he’s replacing, Palmer and Drew Stanton, but Gabbert has better mobility by far and he’s using his legs in controlled situations, not in chaotic jailbreaks because he either misread the coverage or got jittery in the pocket.

Gabbert completed the drive by heaving a deep pass to wide receiver Jaron Brown, who easily walked into the end zone to complete a 52-yard touchdown reception. What made it happen was Gabbert’s ability to avoid the pass rush and, with Calais Campbell bearing down from behind, quickly get rid of the ball and alter his release point to prevent the ball from being stripped. It was the longest touchdown pass allowed by the Jaguars this season and just the second all year caught by an opposing wide receiver.

And finally, Gabbert was able to freeze the Jaguars defense when he rolled out on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt and used the pump fake to buy him an extra second or two. That allowed Larry Fitzgerald to get open at the goal line and Gabbert wasted no time zipping him a perfect pass to put the Cardinals ahead 24-17.

It’s that kind of football IQ that has Arians and a boatload of Cardinals fans cheering for Gabbert’s continued success not only through the remainder of this season, but possibly into 2018 and beyond. Arians said nobody has picked up his offense as fast as Gabbert and that the quarterback has the smarts of some of the best the coach has worked with, including Peyton Manning.

“Yeah, he’s up there,” Arians said. “To play at this level in seven offenses is not easy, and he’s had success, especially in this offense. But yeah, he’s up there.”

Asked how much upside there is in the 28-year-old, Arians said: “Oh my gosh, a ton. A ton. He just has to continue to grow. He’s never been in the same offense two years in a row, so he can blossom.”

Gabbert insists he’s not looking ahead or worrying what might happen after his one-year contract with the Cardinals expires at season’s end.

“No. A lot of people make big deals about going into free agency or you’re on a one-year deal, but that’s the furthest thing from any players’ mind,” he said after Sunday’s game. “The reason why we play these game is for the guys in that huddle and the guys in that locker room. Just being out there with your boys and just having fun.

“We’re like kids out there and just to be able to compete against the best athletes in the world every single play, that’s why we play. That’s why we have so much fun when we win games.”

There are more of those to win this season, starting this Sunday against the Rams.

“It’s huge,” Arians said. “To climb back in the division, get a division win, bringing them back to us ... it’s a big, big game.”

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Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Wednesday night between 7-9 on Fox Sports 910-AM on The Freaks with Kenny and Crash.