Cardinals' Gardner Minshew II opens up about awkward situation amid Jacoby Brissett drama

Journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett has remained away from the Arizona Cardinals throughout the voluntary portion of the offseason program amid his desire for a pay raise. 

That situation has left veteran and free-agency signing Gardner Minshew II serving as Arizona's temporary starter. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Minshew addressed whether or not he expects to receive an opportunity to compete for the Cardinals' QB1 job this summer. 

Will Gardner Minshew II compete for the Cardinals' starting job?

"I don’t know, man," Minshew said, per Doug Haller of The Athletic. "I’m getting the reps I’m getting right now, trying to do the best I can, trying to help our team." 

First-year Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur previously insisted that he's not concerned about Brissett's whereabouts this spring. As Grant Gordon shared for the NFL's website, LaFleur said on Wednesday that Brissett has "played a lot of ball, so he'll be just fine." 

According to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, a source revealed "earlier this offseason that Brissett has been informed by the Cardinals that he is their starting quarterback." Assuming that is the case, Minshew and 2026 third-round draft pick Carson Beck will be on track to compete for the QB2 gig. 

Why Gardner Minshew II thinks he could lead the Cardinals to wins

"At the end of the day, I want to be a quarterback that wins in this league," Minshew explained. "I want to win at a high level, play at a high level. I think that’s everybody’s goal as a quarterback. I’m excited to be here with an opportunity and a great group of guys around me."

Minshew has made regular-season appearances for five teams since he entered the league via the 2019 draft. Thus, he is no stranger to seeing and learning different offenses. 

"The reason this (offense) does so well is it thrives off complementary looks and simplicity, with the illusion of complexity through motions, similar formations," Minshew said about LaFleur’s system, per Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. "We really don't do a ton off each look, but just enough to put a seed of doubt. And the idea is that we're gonna get really good at what we do."

Brissett would be subject to fines if he remains away from the Cardinals through the start of their mandatory minicamp on June 8. One wonders if such a decision would open the door for Minshew to possibly emerge as Arizona's Week 1 starter.