Arizona Cardinals officials keep the starting quarterback slot under wraps as the 2026 draft looms. General manager Monti Ossenfort and coach Mike LaFleur refused to name a clear heir between Jacoby Brissett and newly signed Gardner Minshew II. The team signals it will evaluate the room once training camp begins in August.

Brissett logged 12 starts last season and has 65 starts over ten years, while Minshew appeared in five games for Kansas City before signing, with 47 career starts to his name. Both bring experience, but neither has proven the consistency the Cardinals need to lock down a franchise quarterback.

Rumors about former Alabama star Ty Simpson have swirled since the Cardinals visited him on the last day of prospect tours. With a third‑round pick on hand, mock drafts project the team trading back into the first round to snatch him. The move would add a young signal‑caller to a crowded backfield.

Ossenfort highlighted accuracy and decision‑making as the key attributes he seeks in a quarterback. The Cardinals’ strategy hinges on adding competition through the draft or free agency, aiming to refine the quarterback room before the season starts. Until camp opens, the franchise remains in a holding pattern, watching how the roster shapes itself.