Cardinals Fear Gardner Minshew Suffered UCL Tear

Gardner Minshew is feared to have suffered a UCL tear in his throwing arm, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Minshew played through the malady — one that sidetracks dozens of pitchers’ careers annually — to close Week 9, but a season-ending injury is on the table. Minshew is seeking a second opinion, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Josh Weinfuss add.

Both Minshew and 2025 Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes suffered elbow injuries Sunday, but while Kansas City’s franchise QB looks to have avoided a major setback, his one-year backup does not. Minshew is tied to a one-year, $5.75MM Arizona contract — one he agreed to after suffering a season-ending injury late last year. The Cards traded Brissett’s one-year deal to the Ravens, after promoting Minshew, days ago. Beck work was in the NFC West team’s 2026 plans, but the third-round rookie looks to be thrust into action come Week 10.

Tommy John surgery, a procedure that changed the pitching landscape decades ago, regularly sidelines MLB hurlers for over a year. This would be a tough break for Minshew, who was in position to audition for a potential starting job — as a stopgap, at the very least — in the coming weeks. Minshew, 30, saw his 2025 season end when he suffered a non-displaced tibial plateau fracture in Week 16.

The Chiefs turned to Minshew that week after Mahomes’ ACL and LCL tears, but that solution proved short-lived. Kansas City made yet another backup a one-and-done by trading for Justin Fields, leading Minshew to Arizona. Minshew replaced Brissett in Week 9, guiding a comeback win over the Cowboys. This led to the Cardinals benching Brissett, demoting the two-year starter to the third-string level, and going with Minshew. The team had aimed for a late-season Beck audition, but the 2025 CFP national championship game starter will see his timetable adjusted.

Minshew’s Seattle outing represented the 48th start of his career; he has now started for six NFL teams. Beck was viewed as a pro-ready prospect, albeit one that did not carry a ceiling like Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson brought into the 2026 draft. This should give Beck a solid runway to show if he can be a multiyear option in Arizona, which will assuredly be connected to arms in the now-murky 2027 QB class soon.

Going down on a DeMarcus Lawrence sack late in the first half, Minshew joined Mahomes in not missing any action. But the eighth-year signal-caller was clearly playing hurt. The Cardinals went into Week 9 without a third-string quarterback, and they do not have a passer on their practice squad presently. That will change soon, and a Minshew IR move appears likely.