When Gardner Minshew signed on the dotted line to play quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, there was no way of knowing exactly what the workload was going to look like. The QB situation in Arizona hasn't been pretty for a long time, and the offseason plan looked about as impressive as any other plan that Cardinals' brass has tried to implement in the last half-decade (or more). The one clear thing was that Minshew was getting paid surprisingly well.
As it turns out, the money might have been commensurate with the expectations.
For a franchise to make news weeks after the draft is never a good thing, and that's proving true in the desert this spring. Assumed starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett has decided he's worth more money since he's penciled in as QB1. And as voluntary OTAs get underway for the Cardinals, Brissett is nowhere to be found.
Yes, such activities are not mandatory. It's in the name. But Brissett's agent is clearly spreading the word that he desires a raise from the two-year, $12.5 million deal he signed last year. Starting signal callers tend to make quite a bit more than Brissett, so on paper, being the Cardinals' QB1 should merit more money.
Gardner Minshew has a clearer path than initially expected toward a starting QB role again.
Here's where Minshew has made things dicey for everyone involved at the position. Brissett's hold on the QB1 role should be viewed as tenuous given that he went 1-11 as a starter last year for the Cardinals. He also went 1-4 in five games the previous year as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. Brissett's original deal, signed a year ago, was right in line with other solid backup quarterbacks around the NFL, those players who are most likely to make the occasional start.
This spring, the Cardinals have introduced a few new elements to the position after watching longtime starter Kyler Murray walk in free agency to the Minnesota Vikings. Minshew signed a one-year deal worth up to $8 million with $5.75M in guaranteed money. Compare that to Brissett's guaranteed money of $1.5M, and you can feel the tension. To complicate matters, the Cardinals also drafted Carson Beck in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
As OTAs get underway, it'll be Minshew getting reps where Brissett should be. It will be Minshew developing chemistry with the roster's freshest edition and earning the trust of coaches. It will be Minshew settling into a role that Brissett refuses to return to without more money when his resume isn't all that impressive in the first place.
Minshew will be plenty motivated to maintain any grip on the starting quarterback role. He's got major incentives built into his playing time: $1.125M for 50 percent of snaps and $2.25M for 65 percent. If things can get settled, Brissett is still the safest bet to be the starting quarterback in Week 1 when the Cardinals take the field at Allegiant Stadium to face the Las Vegas Raiders. But Minshew has a clear path to starting early for the Cardinals, and Brissett's demands for more security might be his undoing.
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