Chicago Bears: Who Is Matt Barkley and Is He For Real?

It looked like things were lining up for him with Caroll as his head coach in college. Mel Kiper Jr. even said during his first season that he’d be the #1 pick in the draft three years later. Barkley seemed to prove that by becoming the first freshman to ever start a season for USC. Unfortunately things went south rather quickly.

It started in 2010 with Carroll departing for the NFL. News soon followed that the program had committed NCAA violations centering on improper player benefits. They were hit with a two-year bowl ban and lost several scholarships. This distraction was ill-timed for Barkley who had just lost his coach. Nonetheless he battled through it, and a number of injuries, to give USC all four of his eligible years.

All told he finished with 12,327 passing yards, 116 touchdowns and 48 interceptions while compiling a 34-13 record. He came out in the 2013 NFL draft hoping to fulfill that promise of being a 1st round pick. Sadly he didn’t have the momentum or the positive pre-draft scores needed to pull it off. Barkley fell to the 4th round where he was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles 98th overall.

After two years spent as a backup there, he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2015. Given Bruce Arians, a notable quarterback guru signed off on that move is interesting. Barkley stayed there as a reserve but was cut right after the 2016 preseason ended. A day later GM Ryan Pace put him onto the practice squad.