The Cardinals may end up right in the middle of the quarterback market before this season is over.
Arizona currently has Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck occupying its three quarterback spots, with Brissett getting a pay raise this offseason to open the year as the starter - at least for now. But with the regular season moving along and the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching, the situation has the feel of one that could shift fast.
The New York Giants’ quarterback outlook changed after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending injury, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano pointed to Brissett as a possible name to watch if the Giants go looking for help. He also noted that Arizona could become part of the conversation for other teams, too.
Graziano: "The problem with Winston -- or any backup, really -- is that while he can probably get you through two or three games, his deficiencies are likely to show up the longer he plays. The Giants will need to bring in someone else, even if it's just for depth.
Jake Haener is on their practice squad, so he's obviously a candidate to be elevated. But there's no magic solution here.
"Jimmy Garoppolo is a free agent. Maybe they could talk the Steelers out of Mason Rudolph for a draft pick.
At some point this season, maybe guys such as Jacoby Brissett (Arizona) or Kirk Cousins (Las Vegas) get replaced by younger QBs and become available in trade. But it's way too early for that now, and it looks like the Giants will have to go with Winston and work to help him play better than he did in relief Monday night."
That possibility matters in Arizona because the Cardinals are also expected to make a quarterback change at some point if they play out the way they’re projected to. The team used a third-round pick on Carson Beck this offseason and will need as much information as possible on the rookie before settling on its direction under center next offseason.
Beck looked good in preseason action, but a rib injury limited him to just one game. For now, he sits behind Brissett and Minshew on the depth chart.
Minshew, like Brissett, is set to hit free agency after this season, which only adds another layer to the trade talk. He, too, is viewed as a possible deadline candidate.
If Arizona doesn’t start stacking wins and push itself into postseason contention, there’s a real chance the team moves on from either Brissett or Minshew during the season. For now, it’s one of the more intriguing quarterback situations to keep an eye on.
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