Cardinals move on from Brissett, name Minshew starter

By Zev Black
Mail

The 3-5 Arizona Cardinals will be moving forward with a new quarterback for the remainder of the 2026 NFL season.

Late in the third quarter of last week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, QB Jacoby Brissett was sacked on back-to-back plays resulting in a loss of 26 total yards. They then handed the ball off to Tyler Allgeier and punted the ball away on 4th and 31.

That handoff would be Brissett’s final play in a Cardinals uniform as the team is working on a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to send the veteran quarterback east. It is still unknown what or who the Cardinals will receive in return, though it is expected to be finalized this weekend.

Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur didn’t have much to say on the transaction during a press conference after Wednesday’s practice.

“Out of respect for the process and just working to get stuff finalized,” he said. “I mean, I really don’t have much of a comment on it, but we’re going to let the process play out with that.”

Gardner Minshew II, a journeyman in his own right, took over for Brissett and led his team to an overtime victory, 33-30. He overcame a 14 point deficit with 14:20 in the fourth quarter to put another tally in the win column.

So, where do the Cardinals go from here?

The team has already defied the odds this season with impressive wins over the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams and, most recently, the aforementioned Cowboys.

Despite injuries and uneven play, the Cardinals are sitting with three wins, just under the 3.5 over/under total set by DraftKings entering the season.

Former Patriot Jack Gibbens is having a strong season at the linebacker position. He is signed through next season and could be a core piece of that defense for the future.

Both Trey McBride and Michael Wilson are major factors on offense, though with the departure of Marvin Harrison Jr., there is a clear lack of young receiving options. This could be something the team addresses in free agency or the draft.

Every NFL team wants to make the playoffs, though the Cardinals road is fairly steep. The season hangs in the balance with a few very tough matchups the next three weeks.

The stretch includes a home game against the Rams sandwiched between road games in Seattle and Kansas City.

Seattle will also be without their starting QB Sam Darnold, who has been ruled out for Sunday’s game with a quad injury and a cracked rib. Backup QB Drew Lock will be thrust into the starting role for the second time this season, though it will be his third game.

He entered early in the first quarter and led his team to victory in week one against the New England Patriots after Darnold was forced out with a glute injury. He then started the following week and, along with superstar WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, beat the Cardinals in Glendale 31-7. Smith-Njigba had nine receptions for 155 yards and three touchdowns during that contest.

He needs just 15 yards to reach 1,000 on the season.

It is generally difficult to beat the same team twice in a season. Despite that, DraftKings currently has Arizona as 8.5 point underdogs against the Seahawks this weekend. Kick off is set for 2:25 p.m. at Lumen Field in Seattle.

Reporter Zev Black can be reached at zblack@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to azopinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.