The Arizona Cardinals are counting on Mason Cole to be the team’s starting center in 2020 and presumably several seasons. He played every snap of his rookie season in 2018 after A.Q. Shipley tore his ACL in training camp. However, upon Shipley’s return, Cole went to the bench for the first time in his playing career at any level.
Despite the trust the team has in him to man the middle of the offensive line, he isn’t anywhere near the level of the top centers in the league. In a list of the top centers in the NFL by Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, Cole doesn’t even get a mention, while 16 players either were in the top 11 or received honorable mention.
It makes sense. Cole was part of a bad offensive line in 2018. He was learning as he played and was not particularly good. The team and his coaches were pleased with his development and head coach Kliff Kingsbury has had nothing but glowing praise for Cole since he was hired in 2019.
That said, he played limited snaps in 2019.
Despite that, it is believed that Cole is a perfect fit for what they do offensively. He has a lot to prove but has potential.
Considering the list of players ahead of him, it will likely more than one season to crack that list in future seasons. That said, the Cardinals don’t need him to be an elite center. If he is capable and consistent, they will keep him around for as long as they can.
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