Cards' Kevin Kolb out vs. Vikings

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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb will be unable to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings and is expected to be out several weeks after multiple ribs detached from his sternum and he suffered a sprained sternoclavicular joint in his chest area against the Bills this past Sunday, according to a team source.

Kolb has been battered in recent weeks, absorbing 23 sacks in the past three games alone.

With Kolb unable to play, John Skelton is expected to start.

The Cardinals said Tuesday that Kolb has rib cartilage damage and will be sidelined, in the team's words, "an unspecified period of time."

Skelton, who beat out Kolb for the starting job in the preseason, was understandably rusty in relief after replacing the injured Kolb on Sunday, completing 2 of 10 passes for 45 yards in the overtime loss to Buffalo.

On the play he was injured, Kolb checked off at the line of scrimmage and called a draw play. Running back William Powell didn't realize it and Kolb was left alone with the football. He didn't quite make it to the line of scrimmage for what was ruled Buffalo's fifth sack. He was slammed to the turf with the football painfully pinned between his ribs and the ground.

Finally, Kolb got to his feet and went to the sideline. X-rays were negative, but an MRI revealed the extent of his injuries.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Adam Schefter

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• Joined ESPN in 2009
• Former president of the Pro Football Writers of America and the author of four books