The Arizona Cardinals currently have an interesting quarterback room.
Led by incumbent starter Jacoby Brissett, with veteran Gardner Minshew previously expected to be the backup, the Cardinals made a somewhat unexpected move. The Cardinals selected former Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
This complicates things for the veterans on the roster, with reports of the Cardinals possibly tanking in 2026.
While next year’s quarterback class should be much deeper, questions remain about Brissett’s place on the roster. Brissett is in the midst of a contract dispute with Arizona, further complicating his role.
According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, Brissett could be dealt before the NFL Trade Deadline.
“They’ll move Brissett by the deadline,” an NFL GM said. “Watch.”
Why Would the Arizona Cardinals Deal Brissett?
Brissett was only expected to be a bridge quarterback for a rebuilding team. But the Cardinals could be the worst team in the league next year.
This would mean that they would get their pick of one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 class. Texas’s Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin should be the cream of the crop.
While they already had Brissett and Minshew on the roster, it was surprising that the Cardinals took a quarterback in the early to mid rounds when Alabama’s Ty Simpson was no longer available.
In fact, most executives, according to La Canfora, expected the Cardinals to take a flier on a quarterback later in the draft.
“And of all the quarterbacks they could have selected in the mid-rounds, they took Miami’s Carson Beck, who was arguably the most experienced and ready to play of the entire class,” La Canfora wrote.
The consensus was the same from GMs.
“They took the quarterback who is the most pro-ready of any of them, for Week 1,” said an NFL general manager. “Even more than (first-overall pick Fernando) Mendoza.
“He’s been in college six years, like I don’t think you take him there to sit.”
Why Would Beck Be This Big of a Factor?
By taking Beck so early, the Cardinals seemingly will give him a chance to start at some point in 2026.
After all, they owe it to him to see what they have in their young quarterback. And it could be the only year they have to show him off.
“The only time to look at Beck, even if only to showcase him for trade, would be 2026,” La Canfora wrote.
The former Georgia and Miami quarterback is a certified winner. In two years as a starter with the Bulldogs, Beck went 28-4.
In his one year as a starter with Miami, Beck went all the way to the National Championship, losing to Mendoza in a close game.
His size and experience in big games make him an intriguing pick for Arizona. However, his arm strength and accuracy are issues that could be a major factor down the road.
How the Cardinals will handle the quarterback room and depth chart remains to be seen. However, if Brissett is still not happy with his contract by training camp, it could lead to an undesirable standoff.
If the season goes sideways early, more seismic changes could come to this organization by trading Brissett and starting Beck.
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