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Stanton eyeing Cardinals' starting job when Palmer retires

Jason Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Drew Stanton returned to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason with an eye on the future.

The veteran quarterback passed up other offers in re-signing with the Cardinals for another two years. Though he did so knowing that he remains a clear backup to Carson Palmer, Stanton says both the organization and the potential to start down the road helped his decision.

"As you get older, I think just wanting to be a part of a good situation (is the priority)," Stanton told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "There's not a written rule on how you become a starting quarterback in this league and how you can sustain that over a period of time. I've found a great situation here in Arizona. Who knows how long Carson will play for?

"But I've had at-length discussions with everybody in the franchise that there's a chance for me to be able to start when he's done. So that's the whole goal of all this."

Stanton didn't see much action during the 2015 campaign, but his presence was instrumental in the Cardinals withstanding a season-ending injury to Palmer the year prior.

It's that relative success in a lead role, helping the team to six wins over eight games, that could have afforded Stanton opportunity to compete for a starting role elsewhere. Only a perfect situation could have pried him away from Arizona, though.

"Looking at different opportunities and realizing the grass isn't always greener on the other side," he said. "Going to a less advantageous situation is something that I was not going to just chase money for. Money wasn't going to be my most motivating factor in this entire thing."

Stanton, a former second-round pick of the Detroit Lions, is now entering his 10th NFL season. Palmer remains under contract for at least the next two years, but it's unclear how much longer the 32-year-old intends to play.

- With h/t to CBS Sports

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