Cardinals place Kevin Kolb on injured reserve

Nate Davis, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

Kevin Kolb might have played his final game for the Arizona Cardinals.

The oft-injured, oft-inconsistent quarterback was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, two months after rib and chest injuries forced him from the lineup. Kolb had returned to the practice field recently, but his recovery seemed to plateau while the Cardinals continued their nine-game free fall after hitting the 4-0 plateau to start the season.

Despite playing with a shaky running game and behind a subpar offensive line that only deteriorated, Kolb played decently this season and had a large hand in the club's unexpected hot start.

But the punishment took a toll. Kolb was sacked 27 times in five starts (22 over his final three) before he was knocked out of the Week 6 game vs. the Buffalo Bills.

Kolb passed for 1,169 yards, eight TDs and three picks, and his decision-making looked better than it did in 2011, when foot and concussion problems short-circuited his season after he was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles and signed to a five-year, $63.5 million deal.

Though Kolb clearly outplayed Week 1 starter John Skelton and rookie Ryan Lindley this year, the Cards still don't seem to have solved a position that has been in flux since Kurt Warner retired following the 2009 season.

Kolb is due $11 million in 2013. However, Arizona will be in position to take a quarterback high in the draft or could pursue veteran options. NFC West foe Alex Smith might be an ideal fit if the San Francisco 49ers end up cutting him loose.

Arizona bolstered its beleaguered O-line by signing Mike Gibson to take Kolb's roster spot.