Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur would not say whether Gardner Minshew is now the team’s starting quarterback after Minshew replaced Jacoby Brissett in the second half of Sunday’s Week 8 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The benching came with Arizona trailing 17-3 and Brissett struggling through the air.
Minshew entered with 1:35 left in the third quarter and immediately sparked the offense, leading a touchdown drive that took just two plays and 38 seconds. The game was played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET, according to FOX Sports.
The Benching That Triggered The Cardinals QB Situation
Brissett had completed just 10 of 23 passes for 119 yards with an interception when LaFleur pulled him, according to NFL.com. The Cardinals had managed only 130 yards on seven possessions before the switch and had gone 0-for-2 in the red zone.
LaFleur made the move in search of what Yahoo Sports described as “Minshew Magic,” though the coach did not publicly tie the decision to a longer-term plan at quarterback. It marked Minshew’s first appearance of the season.
What It Means For Arizona’s Depth Chart
LaFleur’s refusal to name a starter leaves the Cardinals’ quarterback room unsettled heading into the coming week. Brissett had been the clear workhorse before the benching, averaging 40.3 pass attempts per game, the highest volume of any quarterback in the NFL, according to FOX Sports.
That workload makes the in-game change notable on its own, regardless of whether it becomes permanent. A quarterback throwing at that rate getting pulled for inefficiency signals at minimum that LaFleur was willing to make an in-game adjustment rather than ride out a slow start, even against a volume leader.
Context: A Struggling Offense Before The Switch
Arizona’s offense had stalled well before Minshew entered. The 130 yards gained on seven possessions and the 0-for-2 red zone mark point to a unit that could not sustain drives under Brissett in this game, setting up the moment LaFleur decided to turn to his backup.
Minshew’s immediate touchdown drive, covering the distance in two plays and 38 seconds, gave the Cardinals a jolt that the offense had not produced for most of the afternoon. The quick result is the clearest on-field evidence of why LaFleur made the change, even without a direct explanation from the coach.
What’s Next
LaFleur has not named a starting quarterback for Arizona’s next game, and no official announcement on the depth chart has followed the benching. The Cardinals’ quarterback plans remain an open question until the team provides further clarity in the days ahead.
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