A Gardner Minshew trade almost makes too much sense for the Cardinals

TEMPE — The NFL suddenly has a starting quarterback shortage following a handful of injuries early on into the season.

Could Arizona Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew II be a solution?

The New York Giants just lost quarterback Jaxson Dart for the year. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels dislocated his elbow last week. Chicago Bears signal caller Caleb Williams went from looking like he was done for the year to being week to week. His backup Tyson Bagent is in concussion protocol.

The Atlanta Falcons are just now getting Michael Penix back in the mix following multiple ACL injuries and already watched Tua Tagovailoa deal with his own injury issues.

The Seattle Seahawks have been without Sam Darnold, though that didn’t stop them from taking it to the Arizona Cardinals last week with Drew Lock getting the start.

Former Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was concussed in the Minnesota Vikings’ season opener but is expected back this week.

To sum it all up, NFL quarterbacks are dropping like flies early on this year. And we’re only two games in!

Take a look around the NFL, and you’ll notice one thing about most of the backup quarterback options: They are far from starting material.

The free agent pool isn’t any better, with Jimmy Garoppolo the biggest name among the bunch drifting in the wind.

And that’s where Minshew comes into play. Teams dealing with long-term QB injuries should absolutely be looking for some Minshew Mania in their respective locker rooms.

Even with last week’s ugly showing that resulted in no plays for more than nine yards, the Cardinals are clearly rolling with Jacoby Brissett until the wheels completely fall off and change is needed.

If and when that switch happens — having more sub-100-yard passing games will do the trick — the next man up should be rookie Carson Beck, not Minshew.

Why prolong the inevitable?

While turning to Beck could lead to more losses and growing pains than if Minshew got the rock, Arizona doesn’t have much tape to evaluate given the rookie’s rib issue in the preseason.

And with the 2027 NFL Draft potentially littered with first-round quarterback prospects, the Cardinals need to see what they have in Beck before extending their franchise quarterback search elsewhere.

It’s not like Minshew is signed beyond this season, either. If a contract extension isn’t the cards, why run out a soon-to-be free agent over a potential long-term option?

Which team makes the most sense in a potential Gardner Minshew trade?

Among the teams with injured quarterbacks, the Giants make the most sense for a potential Minshew trade.

Dart has already been ruled out for the rest of the season, and while Jameis Winston is must-watch TV when he plays, it’s not always for the right reasons.

If Winston falls flat this week against the Tennessee Titans, a team that is trending toward another top-five pick given the early optics, picking up the phone for another QB might be next for New York.

The Giants also play the Cardinals in Week 4. What better way to get some more intel than to add in a quarterback who helped install the offense during organized team activities and minicamp while Brissett was going through contract talks?

There’s also some built-in familiarity in the Big Apple between Minshew and Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.

Nagy was Minshew’s coordinator last year in Kansas City. The quarterback appeared in four games (one start) after Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL. Unfortunately for Minshew, he suffered his own season-ending injury that same season.

That doesn’t take away from the time the two spent together in meeting rooms and on the practice field, though.

And let’s be real, anyone heading to the Chiefs as a backup quarterback isn’t expected to play.

Related

Cardinals-49ers injury report: Garrett Williams, Max Melton limited ahead of NFC West battleFormer Cardinals running back sentenced to 5 years for dogfighting ringNFC West heat check: Rams wake up, Cardinals drop offMarvin Harrison Jr. not surprised by the criticism: ‘I understand who I am’Brissett: ‘Nobody’s lost confidence’ in Marvin Harrison Jr.Cardinals elevate Starling Thomas V for CB help, send Will Johnson to IR