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Minshew is active for Sunday's game against the Lions.
Minshew is the backup quarterback behind Jacoby Brissett for the Cardinals. Minshew has been consistently active for the team, while Carson Beck (coach's decision) has been inactive as the team's emergency third QB.
Cardinals' Gardner Minshew: Tosses touchdown in preseason finale
Rotowire
Minshew completed seven of nine passes for 126 yards and a touchdown while taking a 10-yard sack during the Cardinals' 42-38 preseason loss to the Packers on Friday.
Minshew was named the Cardinals' starter for Friday's preseason finale while Jacoby Brissett and Carson Beck (ribs) observed the game from the sidelines. Minshew was under center for Arizona's first two offensive series and led scoring drives on both, with the second ending with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Simi Fehoko. Brissett figures to be the Cardinals' starter for at least the beginning of the 2026 regular season, but it's not clear who will be the backup between Minshew and Beck.
Cardinals' Gardner Minshew: Moving back to No. 2 role
Rotowire
Minshew, who handled first-team reps at practice Sunday, will move back to the No. 2 quarterback role when the Cardinals return to practice Tuesday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Minshew will bump back to the backup role now that teammate Jacoby Brissett has come to terms with Arizona on a new contract that provides him a raise for the 2026 campaign. Expectations are that Minshew will kick off the regular season as the No. 2 option behind Brissett, though rookie third-rounder Carson Beck also will have the chance to compete for opportunities in training camp. Minshew is fully recovered from the season-ending knee injury he suffered while operating as the backup to Patrick Mahomes (ACL) in Kansas City in 2025.
Cardinals' Gardner Minshew: Fellow QB works out with teammates
Rotowire
Minshew's teammate Jacoby Brissett, who is in the midst of a contract dispute with the Cardinals, posted a recent photo Thursday on Instagram that showed him getting in some work with several teammates, Tyler Drake of Arizonasports.com reports.
That Brissett -- who didn't take a single practice rep during Arizona's offseason program -- connected with WRs Marvin Harrison and Simi Fehoko, TEs Trey McBride and Elijah Higgins along with fellow QB Kedon Slovis is a positive sign, but at this stage it's unclear if or for how long the signal-caller's contract issue lingers once the Cardinals re-take the field. In the absence of Brissett, the team's expected Week 1 starter, Minshew took the majority of first-team QB reps throughout the offseason, so this will be a situation worth monitoring closely once Arizona's training camp commences July 22.
