Questions around the quarterback position have hung over the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, particularly as Jacoby Brissett held out for a new contract. Even with Brissett, though, there’s plenty of reason to doubt that the Cardinals have their quarterback of the future on the roster.
This comes shortly after trading former first-overall pick Kyler Murray to the Minnesota Vikings, sparking a quarterback battle there with J.J. McCarthy. A former first-round pick himself, McCarthy has struggled in his first two seasons and will likely open 2026 as Minnesota’s backup.
With those struggles for both the Cardinals and Vikings in mind, Adam Carlson of The Viking Age recently suggested that the two sides make a trade to send McCarthy to Arizona.
Carlson had the Cardinals sending a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick back in exchange for McCarthy. The idea being that the Cardinals could kick the tires on McCarthy’s potential for the rest of his rookie contract, while the Vikings get to move on from a bust and move forward with Murray as their starting quarterback.
“This trade wouldn’t be much of a win for either team involved, but the Arizona Cardinals are a team that could use an injection of talent into their quarterback room. Still, this seems like it is Minnesota giving up and Arizona settling at a low price,” Carlson admitted.
Arizona Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur Commented on the QB Battle
GettyArizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur
As it stands right now, the Arizona Cardinals have four quarterbacks in the room. Jacoby Brissett returns after replacing Kyler Murray last season. Veteran Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck are newcomers. Then, Kedon Slovis is still on the roster, too.
Despite that, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur recently tried to downplay the quarterback competition. After all, there’s still plenty of time before the regular season begins.
“I’m not really concerned about QB1 right now,” LaFleur said. “I’m concerned about these guys reporting (to training camp). Really, I’m concerned about them for the next 40 days and what they are doing … you can’t take steps backwards, and that’s not just the quarterbacks. That’s all these guys.”
At one point, Brissett was the presumed starter for the Cardinals. That changed with the decision to hold out for a new contract. In his place, Gardner Minshew took most first-team reps in practice, and that would open up the quarterback battle conversation.
“We don’t play again until September,” LaFleur said. “It is June whatever-it-is. Not worried about (the QB depth chart) right now.”
The Arizona Cardinals Were Also Connected to Brendan Sorsby
GettyBrendan Sorsby playing with the Cincinnati Bearcats
The idea that the Cardinals might be looking to add another quarterback isn’t anything new. In fact, Arizona was also recently connected to Brendan Sorsby in the supplemental draft.
Sorsby is the Texas Tech quarterback who admitted to gambling on his own team and having a gambling addiction. He never actually played for Texas Tech, but had transferred to the Red Raiders on a massive NIL deal, and briefly fought a legal battle to play for them. When pushback became too severe, he applied for the supplemental draft.
ESPN insider Benjamin Solak would connect him to the Cardinals. In particular, because of the current state of their quarterback room.
“The Cardinals are the most obvious choice, as they don’t have an exciting starting option on their roster,” Solak wrote. “Veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II are known backup types, while third-round rookie Carson Beck doesn’t project as a high-end starter. Sorsby would easily clear Beck as the potential franchise passer.”
If Arizona were to take Sorsby, it would cost them a future draft pick, depending on what they bid. However, given the scandal and Sorsby’s skillset, it’s not clear yet just how high a pick Sorsby is going to cost someone.
Cardinals Connected to Struggling Former First-Round QB in a Potential Trade