Do Cardinals Really Have One of NFL's Worst QB Situations?

If you ask across the Arizona Cardinals' fandom, you won't get much excitement for the quarterback position entering 2026.

In fairness, that would have been the case even if Kyler Murray was still on the roster. Murray, one of football's most polarizing prospects, is now gone however. While it did feel like it was time to move on, the Cardinals still don't have a solidified plan in place for his replacement.

Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew are current top quarterbacks on the depth chart with Kedon Slovis also in the mix. While the 2026 NFL Draft could change that, Brissett still figures to be the opening day starter regardless of any outside additions.

Bleacher Report projected the Cardinals as the second-worst quarterback situation in the NFL, sitting only behind the New York Jets.

But are things really that bad?

Diving Into Cardinals QB Situation

"Why it's Bad: The Kyler Murray era is over, leaving the Cards with two high-end backups and potential bridges in Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II," wrote Brad Gagnon.

"Silver Lining: Brissett was actually a higher-rated passer than Stroud, Trevor Lawrence, Baker Mayfield, Caleb Williams, Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix in 2025."

Brissett's passing numbers weren't quite bad, though it will be interesting to see the contrast between Drew Petzing's offense and Mike LaFleur. With so many outside factors impacting Brissett, it's tough to get a solid gauge on his true performance and impact.

The reality probably lies somewhere between Brissett being a tough pocket quarterback that spread the ball through the offense while also not quite being good enough to elevate Arizona to wins. He didn't make too many mistakes but clearly wasn't able to will the Cardinals to wins, either.

Both Brissett and Minshew are under contract through 2026. Arizona has no clear starter on the roster past this season.

Some believe the draft will bring Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, though the jury largely seems to be out on Simpson as a prospect. LSU's Garrett Nussmeier has also been tossed around as a potential prospect to watch.

Is Arizona's quarterback situation ideal? Not quite, though it's also not the worst in the league if Brissett can produce to similar extents like he did in 2025. There also appears to be a clear focus on the 2027 market, and if that's true, it makes the current stable of quarterbacks a bit more digestible entering the summer.