Arizona Cardinals’ latest controversial move shouldn’t shut the door on Carson Beck’s opportunity
The Cardinals raised some eyebrows on Sunday by restructuring their contract with Jacoby Brissett, but the former Canes QB still could end up with an opportunity.
The Arizona Cardinals no longer have a standoff with their quarterback. And how they got out of it was certainly a curious choice.
The Cardinals’ starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been absent from the team’s voluntary offseason workouts over his demands for a new contract. And the Cardinals met that head on with a new deal on Sunday, per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
The sides agreed to a fully-guaranteed one-year, $15.5 million deal that includes an additional $5.5 million in incentives.
The Cardinals’ move is a significant sum to commit in what appears to be a rough year loading for Arizona. But it’s still a logical one in that it rewards a good season last year from Brissett without committing to him for 2027, when he’s a free agent and the Cardinals can start to plan for the future.
But even with the deal, the door isn’t shut on 2026 third round pick Miami Hurricanes QB Carson Beck getting a shot to prove he’s worth considering as a future starting option.
Carson Beck will still likely have a chance to see the field despite the Cardinals paying Jacoby Brissett
2026 is going to be largely about roster evaluation and building for a better future. The NFC West is the most brutal division in football, with arguably three of the top four teams in the NFC coming from the division. Having Brissett in the building arguably could make the team slightly better. Maybe.
But the Cardinals’ schedule until the final four or five weeks as absolutely nightmarish. It’s hard to see more than a win or two there. 1-10 or possibly even 0-11 are in the cards, even with Brissett under center. After all, Arizona was 1-11 with Brissett last year as the starter.
And that behooves the Cardinals to see what they have in Beck sooner than later. They invested a third round pick in him for a reason. Why not see what they have there?
Because, come April, the Cardinals’ front office could be staring down the possibility of a Dante Moore, Jeremiah Smith, or Arch Manning, and they’ll need to know what they have in their own building before making a franchise-altering decision.