

Carson Palmer will be back under center for Arizona against Washington Sunday. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

According to NFL.com, Arizona (3-1) will return to incumbent starter Carson Palmer for Sunday’s Week 5 clash against the Washington Redskins (1-4).

The question of which quarterback would get the start has been a challenge for Washington all week, with all three Arizona signal-callers conceivably in the mix.

Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Palmer will make his return to the starting job after injuring a nerve in his throwing shoulder in Arizona’s season-opener against San Diego.

Through the week, Washington Coach Jay Gruden and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett weren’t clear whom they’d have to defend heading into the University of Phoenix Stadium: Palmer, a two-time Pro Bowler; a rookie, Logan Thomas, who has completed only pass in his NFL career; or second-string quarterback Drew Stanton, who was cleared to return to practice earlier this week after suffering a concussion in the third quarter of last Sunday’s loss at Denver. It was Arizona’s first loss of the season.

Cardinals Coach Bruce Arians isn’t expected to officially announce his decision until roughly two hours before kickoff (2:25 p.m. ET).

If Stanton does end up getting the start, it would make for quite a nostalgic afternoon for Michigan State fans.

Both Washington’s Kirk Cousins, 26, and Stanton, 30, are former Spartan quarterbacks who have landed the backup job behind a former Heisman Trophy winner for their respective NFL teams. And both would be making their fourth start of the season.

Cousins has posted the more impressive numbers so far this season, completing 92 of 150 passes for 1,217 yards (61.3 completion percentage). He has thrown eight touchdown passes but been intercepted five times.

The 6-foot-3, 243-pound Stanton has completed fewer than half his throws: 43 of 88 (48.9 percent) for 529 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The 6-5 Palmer, 34, was the first overall pick of the 2003 NFL draft after winning the 2002 Heisman Trophy at Southern California. After being traded to Arizona in April 2013, he led the Cardinals to a 10-6 record under Arians and the NFL playoffs.

We are live blogging Redskins at Cardinals here. Discuss the game here.

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