# Who will be the Cardinals starting QB in 2026?

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.

---
Answered 2026-06-12 by ChatFFB — fantasy football answers from a live news wiki.
Source: https://chatffb.com/ask/who-will-be-the-cardinals-starting-qb-in-2026