NFL Preseason: Cardinals Need Kevin Kolb to Shine vs Raiders

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The Arizona Cardinals have a lot of money and hope invested in Kevin Kolb, which is why his preseason performance will prove to be more critical than almost any other starting quarterback in the NFL.

Kolb, despite the fact that he has only started seven career games, became the most highly sought after quarterback on the trade market because of his big arm and small sample size of success when he did play.

The Cardinals were in desperate need of a quarterback with only Max Hall and John Skelton on the roster prior to acquiring him. Larry Fitzgerald's contract is up after this season, and if there is no quarterback, he will have no incentive to stay.

But the team gave up a lot to get him. The second-round pick was a steep enough price for someone who has never proven himself to be a capable NFL starting quarterback, but throw in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who is a very good cover corner in a league without a lot of those players, and the mountain of pressure and expectations on Kolb's shoulders increases exponentially.

We won't really know what kind of quarterback he is until the regular season starts, but if he has a bad preseason that will hurt his mindset and those creeping doubts about what kind of quarterback he is will get bigger and bigger.

Preseason games, by their very definition, don't matter one bit. But you can judge a player's ability and talent based on what they show in these games.

We know that Kolb has all the physical gifts he needs to succeed in the NFL, but he has never had a real chance to prove it on the field.

If Arizona has any hope of winning the NFC West for the third time in four years, Kolb has to look good in the preseason. He has to at least show the skills that made the Cardinals fall in love with him. His numbers don't have to be outstanding, but they have to at least inspire some confidence for what is to come in the regular season.

-Adam Wells