The Best Decision Matt Leinart Made

This thought comes courtesy of a segment on All Night with Jason Smith, where the top 10 picks of the 2005 NFL draft were reviewed. The point of segment was that the top of this draft, led by Alex Smith, was especially horrendous. Either Jason Smith or his guest, Mel Kiper, pointed out that Matt Leinart was supposed to be a part of the 2005 draft, likely as the top overall pick. The subtext to that point was that Leinart would fit right in as another top-10 bust.

Leinart was roundly criticized when he passed up #1-overall money, but with the benefit of hindsight I think it's fair to say Leinart made the correct decision.

• In place of his would-have-been rookie season in 2005, Leinart spent an extra year at USC where he did nothing but play football, take his last remaining course (dancing), and, presumably, party. That season may have ended bittersweetly, thanks to Vince Young, but that year will probably go down as the best of Leinart's football life, barring a future Super Bowl victory.
• Alex Smith may not have been deserving of being picked number one, but he also didn't deserve a new offensive coordinator (and, hence, new system) each year. I'll grant that Leinart, with a better pedigree coming into the NFL, may have been able to cope better, but the situation in San Francisco was hardly one that would project a large second contract for any quarterback. In fact, I seem to remember on of the reasons Leinart stayed an additional year at USC was that he did not want to go to San Francisco. Smart.

Ultimately, Leinart's current status with the Cardinals is his own fault. He was gifted a gold opportunity with two amazing receivers and a solid running back (albeit not such a hot offensive line), which is way more than Alex Smith got.