Gardner Minshew has been cast as a lead. He's also been a supporting actor as well as a member of the ensemble. At this point, it's hard to tell exactly the role he'll play for the Arizona Cardinals in 2026.
Last season, Minshew served as the primary backup to Patrick Mahomes for the Kansas City Chiefs. In Week 14, he stepped up in relief of Mahomes when the Chiefs' superstar went down with torn knee ligaments. Minshew then went on to start the next week against the Tennessee Titans, only to suffer a season-ending leg injury himself after throwing only 8 passes.
For Chiefs fans looking to follow Minshew's next steps, the truth is that it's hard to tell how things will work out in the desert. The Cardinals aren't exactly sure who will be their starting quarterback in Week 1.
Minshew signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals worth $5.1 million in guaranteed money. He's also got some incentives that could raise that to $8 million with playing time. Therein lies the mystery, since the Cardinals wrote Jacoby Brissett's name into that role before an offseason holdout for more money flipped the script—or at least altered it just a bit. The Cards also spent a third-round pick on Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the 2026 draft, so both vets will have to hold off the new kid as well.
The former Chiefs QB is in a similar situation, which is to say, one in which everything is up in the air.
Brissett should be considered the favorite, as he performed well down the stretch. Despite going 0-7 from Weeks 12 to 18, Brissett threw 13 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions while completing 63.6 percent of his passes for 1,796 yards. The Cards lost multiple close games in that stretch, and the talent level around Brissett wasn't exactly overwhelming. It's also notable that Trey McBride enjoyed a banner year with Brissett at the helm.
Minshew, however, has found his way to the starting role for several teams now. The Jacksonville Jaguars were surprised when Minshew Mania hit as a sixth-round rookie back in 2019. The Indianapolis Colts leaned on Minshew for the 2023 campaign, and he put together a Pro Bowl season in response. Minshew started another 9 games for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024. He also started 4 games over two seasons in Philadelphia for the Eagles in 2021-22.
"Fortunately, I've had a lot of experience kind of in all those roles, whether it's back to college, pros," said Minshew, per ESPN's Josh Weinfuss, during an offseason workout. "At the end of the day, all you really have is the work that you put in. At some point, somebody's going to be better than you, and they're going to play. At some point, you'll be the best guy in the room; you'll get a chance to play. All you really have is your opportunity to work and get better and to enjoy it with the guys around you. It's been a blast so far."
In a career that's bounced between lead and understudy, Minshew is about as clear-eyed as it gets. He doesn't know which role he'll play in Arizona, but he's made peace with not knowing. If the Brissett standoff drags on, or Beck isn't ready, the door is right there, which is the same as it was at other stops. He's been here before.
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