All-Time Cardinals QBs Ranked: Warner #1, Hart #2

Mike Loyd

#10 · Arizona Cardinals
Retired 1 Year In The NFL
🏆 '''As head coach:'''
Mike's
HAIR
5.4
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Mike Loyd or the Cardinals?

Mike Loyd Legacy

HEYTC AI
Mike Loyd, the towering 6-4 Missouri kid with NFL dreams bigger than his arm, strutted into the Dome at America's Center on December 21, 1980, cocky as hell to start for the Cardinals with Jim Hart sidelined. What followed was a 0-for-15 nightmare against the Redskins—49 yards of infamy, one pick, and a 24.7 rating that slammed the door on his pro dreams forever. Undaunted, Loyd reinvented himself as a high school coaching wizard, capping his first year at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M with a 1991 NJCAA title and two runner-up finishes. From Joplin to Ponte Vedra, he built legacies where pros couldn't, proving grit trumps one brutal Sunday.

Mike Loyd Rating Breakdown

Season
Non-Factor
Fantasy
Non-Factor
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
Cooked
1 year with the Cardinals

Mike Loyd Career Stats via Wikipedia

0 Pass Yards
0 Touchdowns
1 INTs
0.0% Comp %
5.4 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Mike Loyd

How does Kyler Murray compare to Mike Loyd?

Kyler Murray's a dual-threat dynamo with 15,000+ yards and franchise records, while Mike Loyd's Cardinals cameo was a gritty 49-yard, zero-TD blink in '81—think emergency brake job versus Kyler's Ferrari engine. Loyd's legacy is that underdog spark, but Murray's the face of today's Birds, no contest in the pocket or on the ground.

Is Mike Loyd in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Nope, Mike Loyd's not in Canton—his NFL ledger's a slim 49 yards, 24.7 rating, one pick, no scores over five games. Hall's for the Hart-types who piled up seasons, not the one-year Cardinals spark plug who later coached high school kids. Deserves a nod for stepping up, though.

What is Mike Loyd doing now in 2026?

No fresh intel on Loyd in '26—last traces have him coaching high school football post-NFL/USFL days. Probably still grinding in Texas sidelines, mentoring QBs on footwork the old-school way, away from the spotlight like so many '80s journeymen who fade into gridiron fatherhood.

How would Mike Loyd perform in today's NFL?

Loyd's arm was raw, but today's pass-happy rules with no facemask grabs and quick releases would've juiced his 17.9 completion clip. Still, that 24.7 rating screams backup in this era—maybe a wildcat gadget guy behind Murray, scrambling for chunk yards before Mahomes rules made everyone a hero.

How does Mike Loyd compare to Jim Hart?

Jim Hart owned the '70s Cardinals with a 34.49 rating and 16,095 yards over 14 years; Loyd's 5.42 career blip (wait, that math's off—it's 24.7) was a one-season emergency fill-in. Hart's the durable surgeon, Loyd the triage scrubs—both Birds QBs, but Hart carved the real path.