The FanSided team recently released its midseason QB rankings. You have to scroll pretty far down the list to find the Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks, and rightfully so. But an overall ranking like this, and even the midseason update, shows just how desperately the Cardinals still need to address the position. They entered the season as one of the worst quarterback rooms in the league, and it's somehow gotten significantly worse at midseason.
Jacoby Brissett comes in at No. 36 overall, showing that the Cardinals didn't really have a starting-caliber quarterback in the first place. That's why it was puzzling that Arizona gave in to Brissett's holdout when he wanted to be paid more, reflective of a starting quarterback. It's not like the alternative was much worse, if any.
Cardinals now have the worst quarterback room in the league
Gardner Minshew II comes in at No. 39 overall. Given that Mike LaFleur eventually decided to start Minshew over Brissett, you could even make a case that he's the better option of the two. LaFleur certainly came to the conclusion that Minshew gave this team the best chance to win, which is why Brissett was benched and ultimately sent to the Baltimore Ravens.
Minshew showed a mixed bag in his limited time as this team's starter, leading the comeback win over the Dallas Cowboys and then struggling to generate any offense the next week in his starting debut against the Seattle Seahawks.
Unfortunately, the Cardinals will no longer have the opportunity to see which version was legit, with Minshew now likely out for the season with a torn UCL. The silver lining is that it finally gives Arizona a chance to evaluate their third-round rookie, Carson Beck.
However, fans should temper expectations considering he's coming in at No. 64 overall in FanSided's quarterback ranking.
FanSided's rankings suggest Carson Beck isn't the long-term answer
Beck's lone preseason debut was promising, but it remains to be seen how much of that will translate to meaningful regular season games. He immediately faces difficult matchups with upcoming games against the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. The Cardinals essentially have no choice but to throw him into the fire at this point, but the odds look stacked against him given who he's throwing to in the wide receiver room.
It's already looking like a lost season for the 3-6 Cardinals. That loss in Seattle was a turning point, with injuries piling up and the team falling further behind in the NFC West. It should've made it clear to general manager Monti Ossenfort that this team needed to take a seller's stance at the deadline, though they decided to stand pat. At least they still have a valuable eight-game stretch with Beck, though it's fair to wonder how that evaluation will go with limited pass-catching options outside of tight end Trey McBride.
If anything, this midseason FanSided ranking puts into perspective how much the Cardinals are at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the league. They are finishing the season with the worst quarterback room in the league, which further confirms that this team needs to spend a first-round draft pick at the position.
The timing isn't ideal, with many top college quarterback prospects not playing as well as expected this season. But Arizona needs to do something. Taking a risk on someone like Texas' Arch Manning at least gives them a chance to have a franchise quarterback on the roster and finally move ahead in this rebuild. Because if it's not Beck, and it likely won't be, then the answer isn't currently on this roster.
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