Cardinals' QB Plan May Not Be Done Unraveling

The Arizona Cardinals are set to see some swift changes at quarterback ahead of 2026.

Arizona's departure from Kyler Murray is set to be official as of tomorrow while Jacoby Brissett is currently in the driver's seat to start while Gardner Minshew was just recently signed to a one-year deal.

However, the Cardinals might not be done making cosmetic changes to their passing depth chart.

Trade rumors have floated around Brissett this offseason, and now with another presence in the room, those could come to fruition.

Could Cardinals Trade Jacoby Brissett?

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) rolls out against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

It certainly seems to be a possibility, at least according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio:

"They have Jacoby Brissett under contract for 2026, at a base package of $5.44 million. They agreed to terms on Monday with Gardner Minshew, on a one-year, $8 million deal. (More on that coming in a bit.) Brissett is generally expected to be gone. Minshew surely isn’t expected to be the starter. So what will the Cardinals do?"

It was under the assumption Arizona would only trade Brissett if they found a suitable replacement, which initially was Jimmy Garoppolo before those talks collapsed and the Cardinals were forced to pivot to Minshew.

While Minshew could in theory start for Arizona, Florio did float another name in Kirk Cousins.

"He will be cut on Wednesday. He will be available to any team. And as LaFleur tries to install his offense, he’ll want a quarterback who can run it," he wrote.

"It would be interesting to see Cousins in the same division as McVay and Shanahan, playing both of them twice per year. Cousins needs a landing spot. He needs a place where he’ll be the starter. In Arizona, he would be."

Cousins will turn 38 in August, and while he's never explicitly played under Mike LaFleur, he does have hefty experience under Shanahan's system, which is expected to influence LaFleur's system.

That's part of what made Garoppolo a fit in Arizona thanks to his working experience under LaFleur/Shanahan. For a first-year head coach, that could be helpful in terms of installment and cohesion.

Who knows what the Cardinals are doing at this point of the offseason. Will Cousins demand too much money? Would paying Minshew and Cousins be something they're down for after ridding themselves of Brissett and Murray?

That remains to be seen, though it appears anything is still in play for Arizona.