Zaven Collins didn’t sound like a player looking over his shoulder when he talked about the Cardinals’ quarterback room. He sounded like someone who sees a group with real options.
In his exclusive conversation with Burn City Sports’ Spenser Tilus, Collins called Arizona’s quarterbacks “three really good quarterbacks” - Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck. When the topic turned to whether Brissett could open the season as the Week 1 starter, Collins leaned into the veteran’s value, pointing to his leadership and NFL experience as traits that would help the team.
That kind of endorsement carries weight in a rebuilding locker room. Defensive leaders tend to measure quarterbacks by more than arm talent or box-score production, and Collins’ remarks made it clear he believes Arizona has a room built on experience while still giving its younger passers room to grow.
Collins also addressed his own future, and that part of the conversation may have said even more. He said he has not talked about a contract extension yet and expects those discussions to happen after the upcoming season, depending on what both sides agree upon.
Still, his preference was obvious. “Obviously I’d love to stay in Arizona. Arizona is home and has been home for six years.”
He added that he has become one of the franchise’s longest-tenured players, and he praised the organization from top to bottom, including the new coaching staff, ownership, and the gameday and field staff.
For Cardinals fans, that matters. Collins’ words suggest belief from inside the building - belief in the direction of the team, and in the culture Arizona is trying to build.
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The bigger pressure point is how those dates could force a choice fans would rather avoid. Arizona may have to weigh whether to stand pat or use the market to create room and assets, especially with the roster needing to get down to 53 players and the franchise eyeing the 2027 draft and free agency as major building blocks. The trade deadline is part of the equation too, and for a team trying to balance short-term depth with long-term planning, one of these calendar markers could end up pushing the Cardinals into a move they would prefer not to make. [Read more 🡒]