Cardinals name Gardner Minshew as starter, Carson Beck No. 2: What's next for Jacoby Brissett?

Jacoby Brissett has been demoted to third string after Arizona's comeback win against the Cowboys

Nov 2, 2026 at 4:56 pm ET • 1 min read

There have been two surprising developments relating to the Arizona Cardinals' quarterback situation following Sunday's dramatic, come-from-behind win over the Dallas Cowboys. 

Prior to Sunday's game, Jacoby Brissett was the starter, fellow veteran Gardner Minshew was the backup, and rookie Carson Beck was Arizona's emergency, third-string quarterback. There's a completely new order now.

On Monday, head coach Mike LaFleur announced Minshew as the team's new starter. Beck will move to the No. 2 spot while Brissett is now the third-string quarterback. 

The decision to switch starting quarterbacks was surprising enough; LaFleur's announcement that Brissett, the team's starting quarterback for the majority of the last two seasons, was being demoted to the emergency third spot is the real jaw-dropper. 

Statistically, Brissett wasn't bad during the season's first seven games. But he struggled against the Cowboys before being replaced by Minshew, who caught fire with three touchdown passes while completing 73.9% of his attempts. Minshew's heroics helped turn a 27-17 deficit with 3:54 left into a 33-30 overtime win. The win improved the Cardinals' record to 3-5. 

Minshew, 30, has had a roller coaster NFL career. A 2019 sixth-round pick, Minshew started his career in Jacksonville before having stops in Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and Kansas City prior to coming to Arizona this season. His best season was back in 2023, when he earned his first Pro Bowl nod after going 7-6 as the Colts' starting quarterback. 

Beck, a 2026 third-round pick, showed potential during this past preseason, going 15-of-19 for 188 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. His college career included a prolific 2025 season at Miami that ended with an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship. 

Minshew will make his debut as the Cardinals' starting quarterback next Sunday in Seattle against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.