The Arizona Cardinals have a quarterback issue. Their named starter, Jacoby Brissett, isn’t participating in team events because he feels now that he has been named the starting signalcaller that he is underpaid. And he wants his current deal restructured.
Is he underpaid? Grossly.
RELATED: DO THE CARDINALS ACTUALLY NEED BRISSETT?
We here at Revenge of the Birds then asked the question if Brissett was even necessary to begin the season. It was just an article to generate conversation for one, but also,
it was a true statement. Does the franchise really need him going forward?
And in the article, available at the link above, we laid out that backup Gardner Minshew had plenty of NFL starts and experience. It is also possible that third-round draft pick Carson Beck wows everyone in training camp and takes control of the starting position.
Also thrown out there to see what could stick was the notion that Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort just dropped Brissett from the conversation and signed a free agent quarterback to take his place.
At the top of the list was a very high-profile name: Russell Wilson.
On Wednesday, Wilson officially retired from the game. He sent his message via a social media post on X.
With the suggestion that Ossenfort hire Wilson, we weren’t blowing smoke, hoping to ignite a fire. The notion was stated to be serious….and while sober. Emphasis on “sober.”
Not to dismiss Brissett, who most Cardinals fans believe he can lead this ballclub for the 2026 season. But all the narrative was somehow centered around Brissett being this great NFL quarterback who wanted more money, and what should the front office do to retain him? We aren’t talking about an elite player here. He signed a two-year deal for $12.5 million to be Kyler Murray’s backup. And once Murray was hurt, Brissett had to carry the team for the remainder of the season.
All 11 losses to one win.
So, we threw out, “What if Ossenfort were to hire Russell Wilson?”
What was the reaction of all Cleveland Browns fans when they saw the headline that the face of their franchise, Myles Garrett, had been traded to the Los Angeles Rams? Can you imagine a similar reaction if all Cardinals fans were to see “Cardinals sign Russell Wilson as new starting QB”?
Imagine getting in a guy who has passed for 46,966 yards with 353 touchdowns and 202 NFL starts, who has orchestrated 32 comebacks. And Wilson was highly durable, missing only 10 games due to injury in his 14-year NFL career.
Brissett had zero fourth-quarter comebacks or game-winning drives in the 2025 NFL season.
But all of that is moot, now. Wilson, like a lot of former athletes and coaches, finalized a deal to become a CBS Sports analyst. He had an offer from the New York Jets, but that was strictly as the backup to Geno Smith.
Should the Cardinals have called?
