TEMPE, Ariz. — Ambiguity isn’t just for the NFL draft at this time of year.
With the chatter about the Arizona Cardinals potentially picking a quarterback in next week’s draft growing louder by the day, neither general manager Monti Ossenfort nor coach Mike LaFleur would declare Thursday who their starting quarterback is at the moment between Jacoby Brissett and recently signed Gardner Minshew II.
When asked whom they view as the QB1 heading into next week’s draft, Ossenfort didn’t single out either one.
“We’re not really naming anybody, and we’ll see how that room looks by the time we get [to] August,” Ossenfort said.
LaFleur said he feels “really good” about the quarterback position as a whole because both players have played a lot of football in their careers, a sentiment he also shared at the NFL’s annual meeting last month. Arizona is approaching Phase 2 of its offseason program, which will allow for players to start doing on-field work.
“None of that’s even being discussed because all we’re trying to do is get a foundational aspect of what this system looks like,” LaFleur said.
Ossenfort said Thursday that he’s comfortable going into training camp with Brissett and Minshew as Arizona’s top two quarterbacks.
“That’s where we are right now,” Ossenfort said. “And I think that with every position that we have, we’re going to look to add competition. And, so, whether that’s the draft, whether that’s after the draft, there’s [a] player acquisition period that never ends.
“We’re going to always look to improve every room no matter what it is. So that’s where we are right now. Is that how it looks going into training camp? I don’t know. We’ll see.”
“There is a feeling around the league that the Cardinals certainly have some level of interest in Ty Simpson.”@AdamSchefter would not be surprised if the QB ends up in Arizona 🌵 pic.twitter.com/qLQsvoZY7t
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 16, 2026
In March, Arizona signed Minshew, who spent last season with the Kansas City Chiefs, starting one game and playing in four. For his career, Minshew has started 47 games in seven seasons.
Brissett started 12 games last season for Arizona and has 65 starts in 10 seasons.
The Cardinals have been consistently linked to former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson throughout the predraft process. They brought him in Wednesday, the last day for prospect visits.
Arizona owns the third pick, but various mock drafts have projected the Cardinals to trade back into the first round in an attempt to take Simpson later.
On Thursday, Ossenfort said two of the most important traits he looks for in his evaluation of quarterbacks are accuracy and decision-making.
“Those are always at the forefront,” he said.
