The Arizona Cardinals starting quarterbacks in 2026 will be some combination of Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew II and third round rookie Carson Beck. As you'd imagine, expectations aren't especially high in the desert.
Head coach Mike LaFleur walked into a less-than-ideal situation in his first year at the helm of an NFL team. He's inherited some thrilling young skill players -- Trey McBride, Jeremiyah Love and Michael Wilson foremost among them -- and a collection of spare parts on both sides of the ball. Arizona is a mishmash of prospects and discarded veterans attempting to keep pace in an absolutely brutal division.
Let's see how they might stack up this fall.
Key addition: HC Mike LaFleur
The Cardinals had a low-key run through free agency as they set the table for LaFleur.
Bringing in guys like Elijah Wilkinson and Isaac Seumalo will stabilize things a bit, but are ultimately underwhelming additions to a three-win team.
LaFleur will be tasked with using his offensive scheming to lift up an offense that needs to restore Marvin Harrison Jr., keep Michael Wilson and Trey McBride thriving and justify Jeremiyah Love's lofty draft position… all with either Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew II or Carson Beck at quarterback. Hooooo buddy, good luck.
Key departure: DL Calais Campbell
The 40-year-old didn't fit with Arizona's rebuild, but his veteran leadership could be missed on a roster with multiple rising young talents in the trenches. Both Walter Nolen and Darius Robinson are recent first round picks with room to grow. Campbell's presence could have helped a coaching staff short on established names.
Potential 2026 breakout player: CB Denzel Burke
Jeremiyah Love is the obvious answer, but Arizona's running back depth may prevent him from having the same kind of impact he had at Notre Dame. The Cardinals' passing defense, however, ranked just 26th in expected points added (EPA) allowed in 2025.
Burke wasn't part of the problem; he worked his way into the starting lineup and recorded a 78.4 passer rating allowed in coverage. If he can showcase steady growth after an overlooked rookie campaign, he could wind up with Pro Bowl hype.
Position ranks
- QB rank (expected points added per dropback, via RBSDM.com): 24
- WR corps rank: 18
- RB corps rank: 6
- TE corps rank: 2
Will they improve in 2026?
Yes? It would be difficult to get much worse, but LaFleur is bringing an unheralded coaching staff to an undermanned roster, which leaves few certainties beyond "this team is going to have some brutal moments."
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Cardinals 2026 season preview: Thank goodness for low expectations
