FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Aug. 16, 2006) -- Matt Leinart finally gets to see his first NFL game against the New England Patriots -- from under center.
The Arizona Cardinals plan to play Leinart at least a quarter, Cardinals coach Dennis Green said.
"He'll go in the second, and then John Navarre will go in the third,"
Kurt Warner and the Cardinals first team will play the first quarter. Then the rookie from Southern California, who ended a two-week holdout by signing a six-year contract late Aug. 14, will attend a pro game for the first time.
"I've never been to an NFL game," Leinart said, "and my first game I'm going to be playing in. It's pretty cool."
He has taken extensive reps with the second team since arriving at the training camp, which ends Aug. 17 at Northern Arizona University.
"I was a little surprised," Leinart said of his early work in practice. "They were throwing me in there almost every time it seemed like. But it was good. I thought I threw the ball pretty well."
Green said that while Leinart has not been around to work on the entire Arizona offense, he arrived in time to focus on the game plan for New England.
"There are a lot of things we have done that won't be a part of the game this week," Green said. "The things that are going to be part of the game this week Matt Leinart will have a very good knowledge of, so I think he'll go out and play well."
