Jacoby Brissett is the safe choice Cardinals cannot afford to make

Nobody looks at the Arizona Cardinals as a legitimate threat entering the 2026 season. That may sound harsh, but pretending otherwise would be silly.

Arizona is not protecting championship expectations. It is not returning a roster that came within one unfortunate bounce of reaching the Super Bowl. The Cardinals have produced one winning season since 2016 and just watched Jacoby Brissett go 1–11 as their starter.

So why are they playing it safe?

Brissett is expected to open the season as Arizona’s starting quarterback after receiving a reworked contract that guarantees him $15.5 million. He earned the raise with respectable individual numbers, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season.

Those statistics deserve recognition. So does the record.

Cardinals already know what Jacoby Brissett offers

Brissett is 33 years old and owns a 20–45 career record as a starter. He can steady an offense, protect the football and prevent a young team from completely embarrassing itself on Sunday afternoon.

That is valuable for certain franchises. It does very little for Arizona.

The Cardinals selected Carson Beck in the third round because they saw enough potential to take a chance. Nobody expects him to become the immediate savior of the franchise, but Arizona eventually needs to discover whether it found something.

Leaving Beck on the bench behind Brissett may prevent a few rookie mistakes. It could also leave the organization entering the 2027 offseason with no better understanding of its quarterback situation.

That would be the most Cardinals outcome imaginable.

Cardinals have almost nothing to lose

Starting Brissett in Week 1 is understandable. Giving him the entire season regardless of Arizona’s record would be much harder to defend.

Let Beck watch for a month. Give him time to learn Mike LaFleur’s offense and understand what NFL defenses are attempting to do. If the Cardinals stumble to a 1–4 or 2–4 start, hand him the job.

What is the worst outcome?

Beck struggles, Arizona loses games and the Cardinals discover they need to draft another quarterback. Nobody around the NFL is going to laugh at them for taking that chance. Arizona is already viewed as a franchise known far more for losing seasons than winning ones.

Rolling with Brissett will not change that perception.

Playing Beck might.

Perhaps the rookie exceeds expectations and gives Arizona something it has lacked for years: genuine hope at quarterback. The Cardinals would suddenly look brilliant for finding a potential starter in the third round. If he fails, they return to the same quarterback search they would probably conduct after another season with Brissett anyway.

Playing it safe only delays the decision

Arizona gave Brissett a substantial raise, but that money is already committed. It should not guarantee him 17 starts if the season begins falling apart.

The Cardinals have spent too many years delaying difficult decisions, changing plans and hoping respectable veterans can keep them competitive. That approach has produced exactly one winning campaign over the past decade.

Eventually, somebody inside the organization must be willing to take a real chance.

Brissett may begin the season as Arizona’s safest quarterback. Beck represents the possibility of something better. For a franchise with so little to lose, choosing safety again could be the greatest risk of all.