If you didn't know the Arizona Cardinals' current quarterback situation, you could make a case that Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II belong in the same tier of quarterbacks. Both veterans are ideal backup options.
We saw that when Brissett stepped up in Kyler Murray's absence last season. More recently, that was apparent in Minshew's limited preseason action against the Green Bay Packers on Friday.
Minshew received the start with third-round rookie Carson Beck dealing with a rib injury. In two drives, he totaled 126 passing yards and a touchdown, completing seven of nine attempts.
It's been a similar level of production throughout this entire preseason, where the veteran finished with 404 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception.
It raises the question: was Brissett really necessary as a stopgap for this rebuilding Cardinals roster?
Gardner Minshew II can be the stopgap the Cardinals overpaid Jacoby Brissett to be
Brissett was projected to be this team's starter following Murray's departure, but he expected to be paid as such. One holdout later, and the Cardinals eventually reworked Brissett's deal, guaranteeing him $15.5 million for the season with potential to reach $21 million total via incentives.
The main thing for Arizona is that no additional years were added. Brissett is still set to become an unrestricted free agent after this 2026 season. The Cardinals knew he was nothing more than a stopgap and weren't willing to sacrifice their long-term flexibility.
Brissett was productive statistically in Murray's absence, totaling 3,366 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 14 games played.
Still, this was a 3-win Cardinals team that is clearly rebuilding after adding No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love into the mix. They are projected to win 3.5 games in Vegas this season, meaning Brissett staying predictably wasn't a needle mover.
How much worse, if any, would this season have played out had they entered with Minshew and Beck as the top options?
Perhaps the Cardinals switch to Beck midseason to see what they have in the rookie regardless. It's certainly an ideal window to see what they have in their third-rounder before considering investing in the position yet again in the 2027 draft.
The one thing working in favor of Arizona's decision to give in to Brissett's holdout is that he's likely still the best option for developing offensive weapons like Love, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Trey McBride. Whether that difference between Brissett and Minshew is drastic enough is a valid question.
PFF has Brissett ranked as the second-worst starting quarterback heading into the season, ahead of only Cleveland Browns recently appointed starter Deshaun Watson. Minshew continues to prove in limited preseason action that he isn't far behind.
At least the headache that came from the Brissett holdout is all behind us, and the Cardinals can finally look ahead to Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
After how well Minshew performed in limited preseason action, however, you have to wonder if this reworked contract for Brissett was the right direction for a rebuilding Cardinals team to take.
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