jacoby brissett is suddenly at the center of Arizona’s quarterback reality as the free-agency negotiating window opens Monday morning (ET) and Malik Willis is no longer an option for the Cardinals. With the organization moving toward a post–Kyler Murray roster, the immediate question is whether Arizona rides with continuity or pivots to a new veteran bridge before moves can become official Wednesday at 1 p. m. (ET).
What Happens When Malik Willis is off the board and the Cardinals still need a QB?
One early certainty emerged even before the Kyler Murray separation becomes official: Malik Willis will not be the quarterback in Arizona. Willis agreed to a deal with the Miami Dolphins described as a three-year contract worth up to a reported $67 million, removing him from the Cardinals’ range and ending a month of linkage that surrounded Arizona throughout February.
That development doesn’t answer whether Willis was ever truly the Cardinals’ preferred path, but it does clarify what comes next. Arizona still needs to sign a quarterback, and the timing matters: teams can speak with players from other squads starting Monday morning (ET), yet any signing remains pending until Wednesday at 1 p. m. (ET), with physicals required before finalization.
In the meantime, the Cardinals’ depth chart is described as Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Slovis “for the time being” once Murray moves on. That framing is significant: it implies a real, short-term runway for the incumbent starter to carry the job into a second season unless Arizona elects to add a different veteran option in the coming hours and days.
What If Jacoby Brissett stays the starter for a second season?
The removal of Willis “opens the door” for Jacoby Brissett to remain the starter for the Cardinals for a second season. The operative word is “remain, ” because the situation described is less about a dramatic coronation and more about the natural outcome of a shrinking market and a roster already in transition.
Arizona’s constraints are shaped by both timing and money. Financial context around the Murray exit underscores why a lower-cost, stabilizing approach at quarterback could be attractive in a first year under head coach Mike LaFleur. The Cardinals owe Murray $36. 8 million for 2026 tied to guarantees from his 2022 contract; if Murray were to sign a league-minimum deal elsewhere, only $1. 3 million would be offset, leaving Arizona responsible for $35. 5 million in cash. On top of that, there is described to be more than $20 million in leftover prorated bonus money on the cap.
That combination can shape decision-making even before Arizona evaluates any particular passer. It also reframes the Brissett question: if the goal is to “clean out the decks a bit” in LaFleur’s first year, keeping the current starter in place can function as a cost-and-chaos minimizer while the broader reset takes shape.
For fans, the near-term reality is straightforward: the Cardinals still must add a quarterback at some point, but they are not forced to rush an expensive move now that Willis is gone. The calendar provides a structured pause—negotiations begin Monday morning (ET), official signings start Wednesday at 1 p. m. (ET)—and that gap is where Arizona’s next step at quarterback will take form.
What If the Cardinals pivot to Jimmy Garoppolo or another economical veteran?
Even with Brissett positioned as the current starter in the interim, the Cardinals are still expected to sign a quarterback, and the veteran market is central to that plan. Speculation has pointed to Jimmy Garoppolo as a potential option, in part because of a coaching connection: Garoppolo could reunite with Mike LaFleur, who served as his offensive coordinator with the Rams. Garoppolo is a free agent, and there is also the possibility he returns to Los Angeles as Matthew Stafford’s backup instead.
The same broader logic has produced other names described as economical fits. In a discussion of likely landing spots, Joe Flacco is floated as another affordable veteran possibility given LaFleur’s prior time with him on the Jets. The common thread is not star power but stability: a bridge quarterback profile that aligns with the Cardinals’ fiscal commitments while the organization navigates the Murray-related cap and cash implications.
In practical terms, this is the core tension Arizona must resolve in the negotiating window (ET): whether to maintain continuity with jacoby brissett at the top of the depth chart while adding competition behind him, or to bring in a veteran who immediately changes the pecking order. With Willis now committed elsewhere, that decision becomes less about chasing a perceived top target and more about choosing a direction that fits the team’s finances and first-year coaching priorities.
