Andrew Buller-Russ
The Arizona Cardinals have a new head coach, and now Monti Ossenfort, their general manager since 2023, has a chance to hand-pick his own quarterback after moving on from Kyler Murray. Chances are, Arizona’s free agent signee, Gardner Minshew, isn’t the QB of the Cardinals’ future; he may not even get a chance to start in 2026.
That honor could go to Jacoby Brissett, who started 12 games for the Cardinals but led them to a 1-10 record in 2025. Or, the Cardinals could still add another potential starter into the mix through the 2026 NFL Draft.
Recently, ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst Ben Solak had the task of matching team fits for the upcoming QB prospects. When it came to the Cardinals, who are an obvious pick to add a QB in the draft, Solak aligned Arizona with Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
To do so, Solak predicted a trade up back into the end of the first round, where the Cardinals select Simpson with the 31st overall pick by trading the 34th overall pick, plus an additional fourth-round selection for their new QB of the future.
“For a green quarterback, Simpson’s pre-snap recognition and command at the line of scrimmage is impressive. The son of a longtime Division I coach, he clearly has good film room habits, which will benefit him in the NFL even if he doesn’t start right away. With Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew rostered, the Cardinals wouldn’t feel rushed to play Simpson, which is always optimal.
ESPN’s Ben Solak on Arizona Cardinals/Ty Simpson
Simpson does need some more development. He simply isn’t as accurate as you’d like for a quarterback who’s going to be a distributor from the pocket, and he’s already a little limited by his height in that regard. Landing in a Mike LaFleur offense is a snug fit, as the Cards’ new coach can crib much of what Kyle Shanahan has done for Brock Purdy to make the system work with a shorter quarterback in the pocket. But Purdy has wonderful creation ability on the move, and Simpson isn’t as dangerous a scooter.”
Simpson has a wide draft projection, where he’s been predicted to land anywhere in the late-first to somewhere in the second round. Most teams already have their 2026 starting QB identified, but there are still a few, such as Arizona, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, who are set to either hold a competition or, in Pittsburgh’s case, wait on Aaron Rodgers. Yet, several others, such as the Jets, could be eyeing Simpson as a potential QB of the future, even if he may not see the field much as a rookie, if at all.
Related: Arizona Cardinals Reportedly Had Interest in 2x Super Bowl QB
