When the Cardinals decided to move on from Kyler Murray after seven seasons, it seemed like an obvious choice to have a little certainty at the position going into OTAs on May 18.
Despite finishing 1–11 as the team’s starter, Jacoby Brissett wasn’t necessarily the problem. In fact, the passing offense as a whole looked much more fluent and in sync compared to when Murray was under center.
The chemistry between Brissett and his pass catchers, Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson, was a few tiers above what it was before he took over the starting job.
Wilson in particular saw a huge leap, as the third-year pass catcher eclipsed 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and showed why the potential was there for him to take over the No. 1 wide receiver role in the future.
Brissett being aggressive and not being afraid to make risky throws was one of the big factors in this mini-breakout.
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However, instead of riding with Brissett into 2026, the team opted to make a pair of moves at quarterback that put the 33-year-old journeyman’s future in limbo.
First, the Cardinals opted to pair the journeyman with another journeyman, signing Gardner Minshew to a one-year, $5.75 million contract. Arizona then proceeded to shock everyone by selecting University of Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the third round.
What looked to be a sure bet for Brissett to be the team’s starter quickly melted into a puddle of uncertainty, resulting in a no-show at Arizona’s OTAs.
Bleacher Report summarized the Cardinals’ QB situation best with one simple paragraph.
“If and when Brissett and the Cardinals sort things out, he'll be competing with Gardner Minshew II and rookie third-round pick Carson Beck for the starting job. Depending on how Arizona fares in the win-loss department, the winner may get to hold the starting job beyond the 2026 season.” — Kristopher Knox
Bleacher Report ranked this situation as one of the top position battles in training camp, and it will be vital to see how new head coach Mike LaFleur addresses it.
Only time will tell.
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