Cardinals Trending Toward QB Plan Most Fans Won’t Love

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals' quarterback situation, ranging from the departure of Kyler Murray to recent Aaron Rodgers rumors, has been a consistent theme among NFL storylines.

As we ramp up towards mini-camp and eventually training camp, all eyes are on the likes of Jacoby Brissett, Carson Beck and Gardner Minshew to see who will emerge as the Week 1 starter in 2026.

Many suggest Beck, the team's third-round pick in the 2026 draft, could make an early push for the job - especially if Brissett's recent contract demands aren't met by Arizona's front office.

Fans want to see something different.

Yet as of now, Brissett's still scheduled to be the Cardinals' starting quarterback according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss.

"I've been told that as of now, Jacoby Brissett is QB1 despite him holding out for a new contract. A source told me that he's been made aware of that and this discussions between Brissett and the team are ongoing — just like Brissett's holdout.

"That leaves Minshew as QB2, and the plan for a rookie Carson Beck, who Arizona drafted in the third round, is for him to sit and watch and learn – unless he outplays some of the quarterbacks during camp. And if that happens, there's a chance he could see the field earlier rather than later."

Full clip:

I stopped by NFL Live yesterday to chat with @DanGrazianoESPN about the Cardinals QB situation.

Who’s QB1? Watch and find out. pic.twitter.com/CTwxFTsLgl
— Josh Weinfuss (@joshweinfuss) May 6, 2026

That makes complete sense, even if Cardinals fans won't love the move.

Why Jacoby Brissett Should Still Be Cardinals QB1

Brissett, contract demands aside, is the most equipped quarterback to lead the Cardinals into the 2026 season. While there's certainly debates if he should finish the year in the same role, Brissett is the best out of Arizona's three realistic options.

Brissett established new career highs in touchdown passes and yards last season after not starting a full season in Arizona, taking over for an injured Murray after five weeks of play and never looking back.

Brissett obviously wasn't talented enough to will Arizona to wins, though he wasn't quite the reason the Cardinals finished the year losing their final 14-of-15 games.

He's a much better quarterback than Minshew while Beck shouldn't be thrown into the fire immediately, especially as a third-round rookie. Beck's allure of college experience doesn't mean he's ready to start out of the gates.

That's not to say Beck can't win the job over camp or even later in the year. If the Cardinals are going to make an informed decision on their future at quarterback ahead of a projected big 2027 quarterback draft class, they'll need to see Beck on the field at some point.

Yet it's hard to imagine Brissett will see the job ripped from him over the coming months, especially to a rookie quarterback who is just trying to find his footing in the league.

Is Brissett an All-Pro quarterback? Not quite. Is he the best out of the Cardinals' three options at this very point in time? Surely, and that's why Arizona's front office seems willing to play ball with his contract demands.

Add us as a preferred source on Google