It's a messy situation in Arizona. The Cardinals cut Kyler Murray in the offseason and haven't settled on a definitive starter. Here's the QB room as of June 2026:
- Jacoby Brissett — the presumed starter, but he's been holding out over a contract dispute (seeking $10M+ vs. his current $4.88M deal, with only $1.5M guaranteed). He missed OTAs and conducted a hold-in during minicamp.
- Gardner Minshew II — signed for competition. He actually led the first-team offense in minicamp while Brissett held out.
- Carson Beck — 3rd-round rookie. HC Mike LaFleur has expressed confidence in him, and if the Brissett standoff drags on, LaFleur is reportedly willing to give Beck a full audition. That said, OC Nathaniel Hackett is taking a patient approach, emphasizing Beck needs time to adjust from college spread to NFL under-center looks. (from the Carson Beck and Arizona Cardinals pages)
So realistically, Brissett is the Week 1 favorite if his contract gets sorted, but Minshew could open the season as the bridge, and Beck could get starts later in the year. The team is also already eyeing the 2027 QB class — nobody in that room has a long-term grip on the job.