PHOENIX (AP) - A person with knowledge of the situation says quarterback Blaine Gabbert has agreed to a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been officially announced by the team.
The 27-year-old Gabbert joins a Cardinals team that will eventually seek a successor to 37-year-old Carson Palmer.
Gabbert could move into the backup role, a job held by Drew Stanton since coach Bruce Arians came to the desert in 2013. Stanton remains on the roster, so his status is uncertain. Zac Dysert is another quarterback on the Arizona squad.
Gabbert has played in the NFL for six seasons, three with Jacksonville and three with San Francisco. He played in six games for San Francisco last season, throwing five touchdown passes and six interceptions.
He opened last season as the 49ers’ starter, but his erratic play their 1-4 start led to him being benched in favor of Colin Kaepernick. Gabbert saw action in only one game after Oct. 6.
Gabbert has played in 43 games in his NFL career, including 40 as a starter, after being drafted 10th overall by the Jaguars out of Missouri in 2011.
At Jacksonville, Gabbert never completed more than 58.3 percent of his passes in any of his three seasons. He threw seven interceptions and just one touchdown pass in the three games he started for the Jaguars in 2013, and Jacksonville turned to Chad Henne.
Gabbert was placed on injured reserve in November 2012 with a right forearm injury, and had also been playing with a torn labrum in his left shoulder that needed surgery.
He was traded to the 49ers in March of 2014.
The past two seasons have seen him evolve into more of a running threat. He rushed for 173 yards in 2016 and 185 in 2015. He ran 72 times in those two years after logging a combined 76 rushes in the previous four.
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AP Freelance Writer Jose Romero contributed to this report.
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