The Arizona Cardinals are already staring down the barrel of a season gone sideways, and now whispers are getting louder about their experienced backup, Gardner Minshew. After a brutal 36-24 loss to the New York Football Giants, a game they absolutely needed to win to hit .500, starting QB Jacoby Brissett’s interception count shot from one to four, sending his overall passing stats tumbling. This team is on the brink, folks, and that loss just tossed them further into the spiral with a bunch of tough games looming. They had a first down at the four-yard line against the Giants and couldn’t punch it in, which just stings.
Brissett’s Starting Role and Slipping Numbers
Look, the NFL season is still early, it’s only Week 4, but we’ve already seen some wild swings. Remember how the Cleveland Browns were supposed to be a five-win team? They’re 3-1-0 right now. And the Houston Texans, penciled into the AFC Championship Game? They’re sitting at 0-4-0. The Cardinals’ situation is a prime example of how quickly things can flip. Jacoby Brissett, the starting QB, has been a solid game manager for Arizona, but let’s be real, nobody’s calling him elite. Before that Giants game, he was ranked #17 in total passing yards with 652, #6 in attempts with 117, #64 in yards per attempt at 5.6, and tied for #6 in touchdown passes with four, against only one pick. But that Giants game? After that performance, he’s dropped to #20 in passing yards, and the real gut punch is that interception column, now sitting at four. Brissett has always been durable throughout his 11-year NFL career, mostly as a backup, but he’s been thrust into the starting role this year. With him at the helm, Minshew is the veteran backup, and rookie Carson Beck is also on the roster.
Why Minshew is the Talk of the League
The trade deadline isn’t until Tuesday, November 10, at 4:00 pm Eastern, so teams aren’t desperate against the clock yet. But coaches are already feeling the pressure, trying to fix weaknesses before their season completely unravels. We’ve seen trades already, like the Dallas Cowboys grabbing safety Joey Porter Jr., and the Giants giving up a fifth-round draft pick for QB J.J. McCarthy. Now, the rumors are swirling, and they’re loud: Gardner Minshew might be on his way out of Arizona. The talk is he’d go to a team that’s either lost its starting quarterback or had to move its backup into the starting spot and now needs a dependable second-stringer. NFL Insider Jason La Canfora from Casino.org actually pinpointed Minshew as the “most obvious quarterback to be available” for any QB-needy roster. La Canfora said Minshew “can give you some energy and run around and make some things happen for a few weeks until he hits the wall. There will be turnovers, but he is game and will move the pocket and try to compete.” Teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost their starting QB to injury, are the exact kind of place Minshew could land.
With three healthy quarterbacks on the roster, and their season teetering on the edge, the Cardinals have a decision to make. Do they stick with Brissett’s slipping numbers, or do they capitalize on Minshew’s trade value while the league is clearly noticing? This isn’t just about a backup QB; it’s about what the Cardinals are going to do to salvage what’s left of their early season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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