Gardner Minshew keeps landing in the same strange spot: close enough to the spotlight to matter, but never quite sure when it will swing his way.
That’s the situation again in Arizona, where the Cardinals still haven’t settled on a Week 1 quarterback. Minshew signed a one-year deal worth $5.1 million in guaranteed money, with incentives that could push the total to $8 million based on playing time.
But he isn’t walking into a clean path to the job. Jacoby Brissett was initially penciled in as the starter before an offseason holdout for more money changed the picture, and the Cardinals also used a third-round pick on Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the 2026 draft.
So for Minshew, it’s another camp, another open-ended competition, another chance that could turn into something bigger.
Brissett still looks like the front-runner after a strong finish to last season. Even though the Cardinals went 0-7 from Weeks 12 to 18, he completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 1,796 yards, threw 13 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions, and helped keep Arizona in a string of close games despite a roster that wasn’t exactly loaded around him. Trey McBride also had a banner year with Brissett running the offense.
Minshew, though, has made a career out of being ready when the door cracks open. The former Chiefs quarterback spent last season backing up Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. In Week 14, he came on after Mahomes suffered torn knee ligaments, then started the next week against the Tennessee Titans before a season-ending leg injury ended his year after just 8 passes.
That kind of abrupt turn is nothing new for him. The Jaguars were caught off guard when Minshew Mania took off as a sixth-round rookie in 2019.
The Colts turned to him for the 2023 season, and he responded with a Pro Bowl year. He also started 9 games for the Raiders in 2024 and made 4 starts across two seasons with the Eagles in 2021-22.
“Fortunately, I've had a lot of experience kind of in all those roles, whether it's back to college, pros,” said Minshew, per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss, during an offseason workout. “At the end of the day, all you really have is the work that you put in.
At some point, somebody's going to be better than you, and they're going to play. At some point, you'll be the best guy in the room; you'll get a chance to play.
All you really have is your opportunity to work and get better and to enjoy it with the guys around you. It's been a blast so far.”
That’s Minshew in a nutshell: calm about the chaos, comfortable with the uncertainty, and fully aware that the next chance could arrive at any moment. In Arizona, as in so many places before, he’s waiting for the same thing - one twist, and maybe another starting job.
In Other News...
Chiefs Fans Could Not Ignore This Awkward Patrick Mahomes Moment
Patrick Mahomes was back at Arrowhead Stadium over the weekend for a World Cup match between Argentina and Switzerland, and the Chiefs quarterback drew plenty of attention even without taking the field. Brittany Mahomes was with him, but the couple ended up seated in different rows inside the suite, a small detail that was easy for fans to spot and even easier to turn into a running joke online.
The seating arrangement quickly became meme material on social media, with some users treating the setup like it meant more than it did. In reality, it was just one of those awkward-looking public moments that can snowball fast when a superstar is involved, and the Mahomeses continue to appear together publicly as usual. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Might Be Building The Kind Of Offense Chiefs Hate Facing
The AFC West already has enough headaches without the Raiders leaning into a more condensed, physical offensive look, but that appears to be the direction under new coach Klint Kubiak. His track record in Seattle points toward more 22 personnel, a package built around two running backs and two tight ends, and Las Vegas has already started adding pieces that fit the mold.
Connor Heyward gives the Raiders a movable fullback-tight end type who can handle lead-blocking and short-yardage work, while Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and Ian Thomas could all be part of a heavier multiple-tight-end approach. For Kansas City, the bigger concern is familiar: an offense designed to make life harder in the trenches, force tougher run fits and keep defenses guessing with extra bodies at the line. [Read more 🡒]
Former Chiefs Linebacker Faces A Disturbing New Legal Crisis
Former Chiefs linebacker Darron Lee is now at the center of a serious legal fight in Tennessee, where he has hired criminal defense attorney Neil Pinkston as the case begins to take shape. Lee has entered no plea, which is treated as not guilty, and the prosecution has not yet said how aggressively it plans to pursue the matter.
The situation has drawn even more attention because of reported allegations tied to artificial intelligence, with claims that Lee sought advice from ChatGPT about how to handle an unresponsive person. The victims family has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit that reaches beyond Lee himself, and with the death penalty still an open question, the case is likely to remain closely watched for some time. [Read more 🡒]