The Cardinals are entering 2026 with a large question mark under center.
They don't yet have an answer. Arizona has provided itself with two options at quarterback -- 2025's mid-season replacement Jacoby Brissett and veteran Gardner Minshew -- but isn't close to determining a preferred starter.
"Listen, we got Jacoby, Gardner -- they both played a lot of ball," Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort told reporters Thursday. "You know, I think, as we sit here today, we're trying to install a system. You guys (coach Matt LaFleur's staff) are rolling. You know, I'll defer to you on that, but we're not really naming anybody, and we'll see how that room looks by the time we get in August."
Ossenfort's response falls in line with how the Cardinals have handled the matter publicly since adding Minshew into the mix in March: We have two options, we like both and we're nowhere near deciding who is our favorite. With Brissett having started 12 games last season and the Cardinals signing Minshew to a one-year, $5.75 million deal, many assumed Brissett would be the default starter. That's not the case at this point, anyway.
"There's certain positions that you feel really good about, and I feel really good about the quarterback position. Why? Because both those guys have played a lot of football," LaFleur said. "So, right now, none of that is being discussed because all we're trying to do is get a foundational aspect of what this system looks like. And then, like I keep telling the guys, we have the foundational aspects of what we want it to look like, but we're going to fit it to the skillset of what these guys can do.
"We're not going to be the Rams, we're not going to be the Niners, we're not going to be the Packers, we're not going to be anyone but the Arizona Cardinals. The best offenses I've been a part of organically have gotten to that point."
There's no reason for them to change their tune in April, especially ahead of next week's draft. As is the case for every roster in mid-April, it's far from finalized.
There is a scenario in which the Cardinals could shock the world by spending the No. 3 pick on a quarterback if they so desire, or add one with a later selection. Ossenfort admitted Thursday his scouting department has spent plenty of time analyzing the crop of signal-callers, leaving open the possibility that another new face could be headed for the greater Phoenix metropolitan area by the end of next week.
"Big ones for me -- accuracy, decision-making -- those are always at the forefront," Ossenfort said when asked what he looks for in quarterback prospects. "Every year there's different flavors of quarterbacks; different sizes, different styles. It looks different. The college game looks different than the NFL game does. It's up to us to really look at those guys and project how they're going to translate to our league. Every year is different, and we certainly did our share of evaluations on the quarterbacks in this year's draft."
Naturally, no general manager is going to speak in absolutes ahead of the draft. What Ossenfort said Thursday does inspire some intrigue regarding the Cardinals' position in the draft, especially in regard to the late-cycle push behind Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson's stock, which some see rising into the first round despite a lack of hard evidence supporting such status.
For now, expect more of the same from the Cardinals' regime. They're not setting their expectations at Lombardi Trophy levels in 2026, but they aren't panicked about their quarterback situation, either.
