The Arizona Cardinals didn’t wait long after their wild comeback against Dallas to reshuffle the quarterback depth chart.
Gardner Minshew is now the starter, Jacoby Brissett has been pushed to third string, and rookie Carson Beck has moved into the backup role behind Minshew.
Brissett was taken out of Sunday’s game with Arizona trailing 17-3 late in the third quarter. Head coach Mike LaFleur said the change was made to create a “spark” for the offense, and the move worked. Minshew stepped in and helped drive the Cardinals to a 33-30 overtime win over the Cowboys.
In his first action of the season, Minshew went 17 of 23 for 188 yards and three touchdowns. His biggest throw came with six seconds left in regulation, when he hit wide receiver Michael Wilson for a 13-yard touchdown to tie the game and force overtime.
Arizona still had to survive a miss from kicker Chad Ryland on the extra point that would have put the Cardinals ahead, but Ryland bounced back with a 42-yard field goal in overtime to finish off the win.
That performance was enough to earn Minshew the job moving forward. With Brissett now at QB3, Beck slides into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.
For the Cardinals, the timing gives them a chance to ride the energy from Sunday’s rally and try to settle things down on offense. Minshew will get his first start of the year in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks.
In Other News...
Cardinals Beat Cowboys But Suddenly Face A Brutal Injury Problem
The Cardinals got the kind of win that can steady a season, edging the Cowboys in overtime, but the mood in the aftermath was tempered by a long injury list that kept growing as the game wore on. Arizona was already navigating a physical night, and by the time it was over the team was dealing with issues across multiple position groups, from the backfield to the offensive line to the receiving corps.
Mike LaFleur said some of the injuries could cost players multiple weeks, and some could linger even longer, which is the bigger concern for a team trying to build on a hard-fought road win. Jeremiyah Love, Kendrick Bourne, Bam Knight, Jayden Williams, Reggie Virgil and Michael Wilson all came out of the game hurt in different ways, leaving the Cardinals with a victory on the scoreboard and a much murkier outlook heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Win Had Cowboys Calling Out Their Own Defense
The Cowboys overtime loss to the Cardinals left more than a bad result on the scoreboard. Dallas had controlled much of the game before Arizona rallied to pull out a 33-30 win, and the postgame focus quickly shifted to the defense after linebacker DeMarvion Overshown called out the units second-half performance and said the group has to be better.
Jerry Jones tried to steady the conversation by saying he is not looking at coaching changes right now, but the pressure around the defensive staff is only going to grow if the Cowboys keep fading late. For a team that expected its defense to set the tone, the way this one slipped away made the questions harder to avoid, even if the answers are still to come. [Read more 🡒]
Budda Baker Trade Buzz Puts Cardinals Fans On Edge
Trade chatter around Budda Baker has put a familiar Cardinals storyline back in the spotlight as the November 10 deadline approaches. The longtime safety and captain remains one of the most recognizable faces on the roster, and the idea of Arizona even entertaining offers for him has naturally grabbed attention because of what he means to the defense and to the franchises identity.
The speculation comes at a time when the Cardinals are widely expected to be active sellers, with other players potentially on the move as the deadline nears. Baker has already acknowledged the business side of the NFL, which is why the rumor mill has felt especially uneasy for fans, even if there is still a strong sense around the league that this is a situation worth watching rather than assuming it will end with a deal. [Read more 🡒]