Blaine Gabbert, Cardinals Reportedly Discussing Contract Extension

Blaine Gabbert has started at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals in each of the last four games and has reportedly done enough to inspire contract extension discussions.

On Monday, Mike Jurecki of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported the Cardinals "reached out" to Gabbert's representatives to discuss an extension with the signal-caller, who is set to be a free agent following the 2017 campaign.

The report follows what general manager Steve Keim said Monday, "I don't think there's any question that we would like to have Blaine [Gabbert] back," per Arizona Sports. "He's done a good job."

Gabbert's opportunity arose because of multiple injuries. Carson Palmer broke his arm in Week 7 and was placed on injured reserve, while Drew Stanton—who initially assumed starting duties for Palmer—suffered a knee injury.

Arizona is 2-2 with Gabbert under center after beating the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. It also beat Gabbert's old team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, on Nov. 26. In all, the Missouri product has completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 897 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Gabbert arrived at Arizona with little fanfare after he failed to live up to expectations as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 draft. He had 38 touchdowns to 37 interceptions and struggled to establish consistency in 43 games for the Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers.

Still, the Cardinals are competing with their third quarterback of the year. He is also familiar with the offense following this trial run and would provide insurance for Palmer, who will turn 38 years old in December and will be coming off a season-ending injury to start the 2018 campaign. He is also set to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2018 season.

While Gabbert isn't someone to necessarily build a franchise around, he has proved his merit in Arizona as a potential backup option.