The Arizona Cardinals are adding another quarterback to a room that has thinned out fast.
A day after reportedly bringing in veteran Josh Johnson, Arizona is also set to sign Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad quarterback Joey Aguilar to its active roster. Because the Cardinals are taking him off another team’s practice squad, NFL rules require them to keep him on the active roster for at least three weeks.
Aguilar went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, then signed with the Jaguars before being cut and re-signed to their practice squad ahead of the season.
The 25-year-old spent his final three college seasons at Appalachian State from 2023-24 and Tennessee in 2025. At Tennessee, he helped the Volunteers go 8-5 while completing 67.3% of his passes and throwing 24 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
At 6-3 and 229 pounds, Aguilar drew this scouting report from NFL.com during the draft process:
"Compact, durable quarterback who has climbed levels twice and had success. Aguilar will be a 25-year-old rookie with three seasons of FBS experience.
He played in a system heavy on play-action at Tennessee, but his touchdown production and overall consistency dipped after an explosive early stretch in 2025. He dissects zone defenses with adequate processing speed and decisiveness, but tight-window throws are a challenge.
Whether on- or off-platform, he makes receivers work too hard for their catches with inconsistent placement and a lack of touch underneath. He’s tough in the pocket and proved he could make plays under pressure.
Aguilar’s age shouldn’t work against him, but he must prove he can work through pro progressions and throw with better accuracy to earn a backup job."
That’s hardly a ringing endorsement, but Arizona was never expected to chase a quarterback in a trade with the deadline here and Carson Beck locked into the starting job.
The Cardinals have already lost Gardner Minshew to a potential season-ending injury, and Jacoby Brissett was traded last week. With the roster sitting at 3-6, the outlook has turned bleak heading into the second half of the schedule. The loss to the Seahawks changed the mood around the season, and Michael Wilson’s season-ending injury only deepened the damage to Arizona’s hopes.
Aguilar also brings some familiarity with Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and his offense. Coen, like Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur, comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree.
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