When the Cardinals drafted Matt Leinart in 2006, coach Dennis Green called him "a gift from heaven." Just more than four years later, the Cardinals re-gifted.

The divorce between Leinart and the Cardinals became official Saturday morning, and only time will judge if it's the best thing for both sides, as they believe.

The Cardinals move on with Derek Anderson as their starter, rookie Max Hall as the backup and rookie John Skelton as No. 3.

Leinart moves on to parts unknown. A free agent, he can sign with any team, and there is considerable speculation, but no evidence, that he will sign with the Seahawks and his former college coach, Pete Carroll.

Profile: Matt Leinart

"In fairness to Matt, I think it would be a tough position for him to be in a backup role (in Arizona)," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "Maybe a fresh start for him would be good for all of us."

The Cardinals made two other moves to reach the roster limit of 53. Linebacker Chris Johnson (ankle) and running back Alfonso Smith (neck) were waived-injured.

The Cardinals were unable to trade Leinart, as teams expressed reluctance to add a quarterback with a hefty contract and who was likely to be released anyway.

Leinart was due to make $7.38 million in salary next year, not including a $5.5 million roster bonus.

The Cardinals don't have to pay Leinart's $2.485 million salary this year, but Leinart has collected about $17.6 million from the club since 2006.

There were myriad factors that contributed to the release of Leinart, the 10th overall pick in the 2006 draft. But the most-important one was that Whisenhunt had serious questions about Leinart's ability to get teammates to follow him.

Whisenhunt picked his words carefully Saturday, praising Leinart's professionalism and professing his belief that Leinart "can play in this league."

But Whisenhunt didn't see Leinart as a leader of men.

Without mentioning Leinart, Whisenhunt said he spends time at training camp watching what players sit together, how they react to each other coming off the field, how players respond to a quarterback.

Whisenhunt didn't specifically say Leinart was lacking in those areas, but the connection wasn't hard to make.

"That's not the determining factor in whether the guy is going to make the team or whether he's going to be a starter," Whisenhunt said, "but it is all a part of the team chemistry, which I think is important to helping your group be successful."

None of Leinart's teammates was consulted before the move was made, Whisenhunt said. There had been speculation that receiver Larry Fitzgerald gave his opinion on the quarterback situation, which Whisenhunt and Fitzgerald have denied.

Leinart could not immediately be reached for comment, but earlier this week he questioned the motives for demoting him the morning of Aug. 26 before a practice in Nashville.

Leinart and Whisenhunt talked privately a handful of times this week, with Whisenhunt trying to get a feel if Leinart could be productive as the backup quarterback.

Neither Leinart nor the coach was crazy about the idea. And if the Cardinals kept Leinart, they would have had to waive either Hall or Skelton, and the team believed either rookie would have been claimed by another team.

"Young quarterbacks in this league are hard to find, especially ones that you're excited about," Whisenhunt said.

Whisenhunt admitted that it's a gamble going with a rookie as a backup quarterback.

"I'm as comfortable as I can be with a rookie as our backup quarterback," the coach said.

Hall, a free agent from Mesa Mountain View High and Brigham Young University, impressed coaches from his first practice in May through training camp. Coaches like his toughness and performance in the preseason.

Profile: Max Hall

It helps that Hall doesn't lack for confidence.

"He's probably mad he's not the starter," Whisenhunt said. But, the coach cautioned that Hall "is not the second coming at that position."