When the New York Giants lost quarterback Jaxson Dart for the season to a knee injury, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew emerged as a potential trade option.
The Giants opted to trade for JJ McCarthy, ending that speculation. However, an NFL insider still thinks Minshew will be traded by this year’s NFL Trade Deadline.
According to Jason LaCanfora, an anonymous general manager told him Minshew will be “Gone by the deadline”.
The Trade Deadline falls on November 10, so the Cardinals have time to find a taker for Minshew. However, with all the quarterbacks going down early in the season, the Cardinals have a window.
Why Would the Arizona Cardinals Trade Minshew?
The Cardinals currently have Jacoby Brissett as their starter. While they paid Brissett in the offseason amid a contract holdout, he has underperformed in Arizona’s 1-2 start.
While he’s thrown four touchdowns in three games and just one interception, he is averaging a paltry 5.6 yards per attempt and 8.0 yards per completion. Through three games, Brissett hasn’t adequately kept them in games.
While Minshew is the backup, the Cardinals complicated the situation by drafting Carson Beck in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft. The Cardinals are likely to receive a high draft pick in 2027 due to the overall lack of talent.
This means that Beck could only have one year to prove himself before the Cardinals draft their potential franchise quarterback. If Brissett continues to struggle, there’s no point in keeping Beck on the bench. After all, you have to see what you have in the young quarterback.
Because Minshew is a veteran quarterback on a cheap contract who can provide quality starts for an NFL team, there’s no point in keeping him on the bench if Brissett isn’t the starter or if Beck is ready.
Minshew and Beck are already splitting reps in practice, so this is a logical move.
Who Could Use Minshew?
There are a few NFL teams that could use a veteran quarterback like Minshew. The Washington Commanders lost starter Jayden Daniels to an elbow injury. However, veteran Marcus Mariota has kept them playing well after a win against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
The Giants will go with a mix of McCarthy and Jameis Winston for the rest of the season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are an interesting fit for Minshew. Baker Mayfield is out for a few weeks with a thumb injury, and Tampa Bay is starting undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels.
Strange things have happened, but Daniels is unlikely to be an impact starter for the 0-3 Buccaneers.
While it’s unclear what Arizona would receive for a quarterback like Minshew, it’s likely in the Day 3 range.
Either way, this will set Arizona up for the future in ways that we couldn’t have expected just a year ago.
Arizona Cardinals Quarterback Will Be ‘Gone’ by Trade Deadline