The year was 1996, and the Arizona Cardinals were in need of a new quarterback. Newly-appointed head coach Vince Tobin had just released the noodle-armed Dave Krieg, who had thrown 21 interceptions the year before. An improvement at the position was in order.
Norman “Boomer” Esiason would be Tobin’s hand-picked choice. Word around the league was that Esiason, who had recently been released by the New York Jets, had little arm strength left. There was talk that he was struggling to make the throws required of a pro passer.
Just three games into the ’96 campaign, the rumors appeared to have some merit.