Mike LaFleur addresses Jacoby Brissett benching chatter after Cardinals trade Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Arizona Cardinals agreed to trade third-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick to the Houston Texans for a 2027 second-round selection and a 2027 sixth-rounder before the Cardinals suffered a blowout 45-21 home loss to the Detroit Lions that dropped Arizona to 1-4 on Sunday.

Those developments said plenty about where the Cardinals currently are amid their roster restructuring under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur. While veteran Jacoby Brissett is currently serving as the club's starting quarterback, he almost certainly isn't the long-term answer for any team at this point in his career. 

Nevertheless, it sounds like LaFleur won't think about making a quarterback change ahead of the Cardinals' Week 6 game at the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 18.

Jacoby Brissett currently "not the problem" for the Cardinals

"I’ve got way too many other things, you know, that I need to correct right now," LaFleur said Sunday when asked about a possible quarterback switch, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "Jacoby was not the problem. We were a problem as a team [Sunday]. And, again, that starts with me."

Brissett may not be "the problem" for the Cardinals this fall, but logic suggests neither he nor fellow journeyman Gardner Minshew II is capable of leading the current Arizona roster on any kind of significant turnaround over the next couple of months.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals also have 2026 third-round draft pick Carson Beck in their quarterback room. One would think LaFleur will eventually want to get a look at Beck if Arizona continues to hang near the bottom of the overall league standings until the trade deadline arrives on Nov. 10.

"Every loss has been very different so far," LaFleur added about Sunday's defeat, per Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. "But we’ve got a lot to figure out between now and Wednesday and obviously going out to L.A. on Sunday."

When could Cardinals turn to Carson Beck?

Struggling teams often prefer to wait until a bye to turn to a rookie quarterback. However, Arizona's bye isn't until Week 14. LaFleur might not be able to wait that long to make a big move if Brissett's losing streak continues into November. As for the 2-2 Rams, they will host the 3-1 Buffalo Bills on Monday night.