Arizona Cardinals News

Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur is unbothered and unconcerned by quarterback Jacoby Brissett's absence from OTAs, per Grant Gordon of NFL.com. The veteran signal-caller is entering the final season of his two-year, $12.5 million contract with the Cardinals and is agitating for a new deal. While Brissett has largely operated as a backup to this point in his 10-season NFL career, he currently sits atop the Arizona depth chart. Brissett also performed well after taking over as the Cardinals' QB1 in Week 6 of 2025, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions across 14 games (12 starts). While it's unlikely that Arizona views the 33-year-old Brissett as its quarterback of the future, he profiles as one of the better stopgap options in the league and would certainly outperform his current contract on the open market. The quarterbacks behind Brissett on the Cardinals depth chart are veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew II and 2026 third-round pick Carson Beck.

Arizona Cardinals veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett has continued his holdout for a new deal and is not present for the team's OTA practices this week, a source told Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. The Cardinals started their second week of OTAs on Tuesday, and they will continue on Wednesday and Friday. Brissett also didn't show up for OTAs last week and has yet to report to the team's offseason program as he enters the second year of a two-year deal he signed in March of 2025. The 33-year-old signal-caller is scheduled to make $4.88 million in 2026, with the potential to grow to $5.39 million, of which only $1.5 million is guaranteed. Backup Gardner Minshew II will be guaranteed $5.14 million. The two sides are reportedly "significantly" far apart on a reworked deal that will reward Brissett for his strong play in 2025 after he took over for the injured Kyler Murray. In 12 starts for Arizona last year, Brissett was the league's top-ranked QB from Week 6 on dropbacks, play-actions, completions, and attempts. He was second in passing yards and fourth in completion percentage above expected. Brissett will be the team's starter again in 2026 with Murray gone, but with an offense that's expected to be much more balanced under new head coach Mike LaFleur, regression is expected for the veteran gunslinger. He's ranked as RotoBaller's QB27 in redraft formats for the upcoming season.

Arizona running back Bam Knight took advantage of a depleted Cardinals depth chart in 2025, finishing as the fantasy RB24 or better in five different weeks while leading the team with four rushing touchdowns. Knight signed a one-year deal to return to Arizona this offseason, but with an entirely revamped running back room in the desert, any meaningful contributions in 2026 will likely be made on special teams. James Conner and Trey Benson played in a combined seven games in 2025, and while both are expected to be healthy heading into the season, they themselves will be battling for the third and fourth spots on the Cardinals' newly stacked depth chart after the team signed Tyler Allgeier in free agency and spent the third pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on future bell cow Jeremiyah Love. With no realistic path to playing time, Knight has fallen to RB93 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings and is no longer a player worth rostering.

The Arizona Cardinals have received trade calls on Pro Bowl defensive end Josh Sweat, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Sweat recorded a career-high 12 sacks in his first year in the desert in 2025 and had a close relationship with former head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was fired following last season. The 29-year-old pass-rusher also had 30 tackles (20 solo), 13 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in 17 starts for the Cardinals in his eighth year in the NFL. The Cardinals gave Sweat a four-year, $76.4 million deal in free agency last March after he spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, but they could be moving on from him after just one season. Sweat finished tied for eighth in the NFL in sacks in 2025 and finished as the No. 20 defensive lineman in IDP fantasy formats.

In what was considered a weak quarterback class, Miami (FL.) product Carson Beck lasted until the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, when the Arizona Cardinals made him the third quarterback off the board at pick No. 65. With the Cardinals already in a contract dispute with presumed 2026 starter Jacoby Brissett and fielding one of the weakest rosters in the league, there's a sense the team could have an eye toward the 2027 Draft. If that is truly the case, Beck has one of the best chances to find starting work this season of any of the 10 quarterbacks drafted in April, making him a worthwhile pick in the later rounds of superflex rookie drafts. While his chances of long-term fantasy success are slim, scarcity at the position tends to allow quarterbacks to hold value. With fantasy depth always challenged by year's end, if Beck does indeed close out the season by starting games, a value bump could then allow dynasty managers to flip him for at least what they spent, essentially moving a rookie pick into what projects to be a much stronger 2027 class.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals are still not close to reaching an agreement on a reworked deal for the 2026 season after months of negotiating, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. According to a source, the two sides are "significantly" far apart. As a result, Brissett hasn't attended any of the team's voluntary OTAs or the voluntary offseason program. His current deal pays him $4.88 million with the potential to earn $5.39 million, with just $1.5 million guaranteed. Gardner Minshew, whom the team signed in free agency in March, will be guaranteed $5.14 million in 2026. The 33-year-old had a career year in 2025 for the Cardinals after taking over for the injured Kyler Murray in Week 6, and he finished with 3,366 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 games (10 starts). He was second in the NFL in passing yards from Week 6 on and fourth in completion percentage above expected. Earlier this offseason, it was reported that the Cardinals informed Brissett that he'd be the starter going into 2026, but he still wants a reworked deal to reflect his performance last year. Fantasy managers are expecting regression from Brissett in a full season as a starter in a new offense that is expected to be much more balanced under new head coach Mike LaFleur.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson topped 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in 2025 and was one of the most impactful fantasy receivers in the league over the second half of the year. Wilson played the final eight weeks of the season on a 119-catch, 1,647-yard, 15-touchdown pace that made him the WR2 over that stretch. At RotoBaller's dynasty WR34, his ranking may seem low for a 26-year-old wideout who just helped to win leagues, but almost all of Wilson's damage was done while Marvin Harrison Jr. was either sidelined or playing through injury. Wilson's full-season pace across the ten games in which Harrison saw at least 30 offensive snaps falls to a much more pedestrian line of 44 receptions, 530 yards, and three scores. Arizona is also likely to field a much more balanced offense in 2026 after throwing the ball at a near record level once Jacoby Brissett took the starting job in Week 6. The Cardinals added Tyler Allgeier through free agency before spending the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Jeremiyah Love. The team also drafted quarterback Carson Beck at the top of the third round, while Brissett and the team are currently in a contract dispute. With an eye clearly on the future and a loaded 2027 draft class, there are no guarantees of who will be under center for Arizona by year's end, potentially hurting the stock of all Cardinals pass catchers and further impacting Wilson's sell window.

The Arizona Cardinals have made it clear that they are interested in signing wide receiver Michael Wilson to a long-term contract extension this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie deal in 2026, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. "Michael is everything we want in our program to be about," general manager Monti Ossenfort said in February. Wilson exploded in the second half of 2025 for a breakout season, finishing with 78 catches for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns after he had an 8-52-1 line five games into the campaign. It was the first time that he recorded 1,000 yards, and the first time he had played in every game of the season. The 26-year-old former third-rounder in 2023 out of Stanford is due to make $3.9 million in 2026. Although the Cardinals' offense won't be nearly as pass-happy as it was in 2025, Wilson's performance in the desert last year has boosted both his dynasty and redraft fantasy stock as he'll continue to work with veteran QB Jacoby Brissett in 2026. He's now up to No. 34 in RotoBaller's dynasty/keeper WR rankings for the upcoming season.

Arizona Cardinals veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett was not present for the team's first voluntary OTA practice on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Brissett has been staying away from the team this offseason as he seeks a raise for the 2026 season. The 33-year-old veteran signal-caller took over for the injured Kyler Murray in Week 6 of the 2025 campaign and never looked better, having a career year with 3,366 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes, and eight interceptions in 14 games (12 starts). Right now, he's scheduled to be paid as the No. 26 QB in 2026 at $5.44 million, so Brissett is looking for a raise after his production rose as a full-time starter last year. The Cardinals have already informed him that he'll be their starter again going into the 2026 regular-season opener in early September. Brissett outperformed expectations last year in a pass-happy offense, but fantasy managers cannot expect the same kind of weekly ceiling in a new offense under head coach Mike LaFleur that should be much more balanced. RotoBaller has Brissett ranked as the No. 27 fantasy QB going into his 11th year in the NFL.

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner's (foot) dynasty fantasy football value took an enormous hit this offseason as the team brought in two key running backs to presumably take his job. New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur wasted no time putting his own fingerprint on the offense, signing Tyler Allgeier in free agency and selecting Jeremiyah Love with the third pick in the NFL Draft. Love should be the Week 1 starter, and while Conner could compete with Allgeier for the backup role, Allgeier has the early advantage because Conner has no ties to the new coaching regime in Arizona. It also doesn't help that Conner is 31 years old and coming off a foot/ankle injury. Plus, heading into a contract year, the Cardinals will have less motivation to feed him snaps. There's not much to do with Conner in dynasty leagues, other than stash him. At RB64 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings, he's unlikely to fetch any meaningful compensation if you trade him away, and it would take a serious injury to Love for Conner to have any value as a fantasy starter if you trade for him.

Arizona Cardinals running back Tyler Allgeier has had one of the most turbulent offseasons in recent memory from a dynasty valuation standpoint. After spending the past three seasons backing up Bijan Robinson in Atlanta, Allgeier hit free agency for the first time in his career with a chance to find a lead back role similar to the one he thrived in as a rookie. With the market not as high on him as some may have expected, his landing spot with Arizona was viewed as lukewarm at best, particularly with Trey Benson and James Conner both returning from injury, and the latter having specifically reworked his deal to stick with the team. As the dust settled, Allgeier again saw his dynasty value slowly creep up as the fit between him and new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett started to make more sense. With the Cardinals spending the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Jeremiyah Love, however, Allgeier saw his consensus dynasty ranking plummet from a high-end RB3 to the low-end RB4 range. With him bottoming out at RotoBaller's dynasty RB47, he again finds himself in a buy window. Even while playing behind arguably the best running back in the league, who has never missed a game in his professional career, Allgeier has had weekly finishes as the RB21 or better 11 times over the past three seasons. At worst, he will spend his time with the Cardinals as one of the most valuable insurance backs in the league, but he will not be without his own standalone value.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. came into the NFL with sky-high expectations as the son of former NFL stud Marvin Harrison Sr. and as the fourth overall pick in 2024 out of Ohio State. Through his first two years in the league, the 23-year-old has failed to live up to those expectations, catching 103 of 189 targets for 1,493 yards and 12 touchdowns in 29 games played. He never really developed the necessary chemistry with former Cardinals QB Kyler Murray to take off, and a heel/foot injury limited him to just 12 games in his sophomore campaign in 2025. When he was on the field last year, Harrison was slightly more efficient on a per-target basis, but overall, he was still a huge disappointment as the WR49 in half-PPR scoring relative to his ADP. As a result, Harrison has fallen to No. 19 in RotoBaller's WR dynasty rankings. Long-term concerns at the QB position and with a new coaching staff in town that is expected to place more of an emphasis on the running game. There's still time for Harrison's pure talent to take over, though, making him absolutely worth buying low on in dynasty/keeper formats.

After a standout career at the University of Notre Dame, running back Jeremiyah Love was selected with the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona's significant draft investment in Love signals that the team views him as its future at the running back position. However, Love may not be in a position to dominate backfield touches in Arizona immediately. The Cardinals signed running back Tyler Allgeier to a two-year, $12.25 million contract in free agency. The team also has a pair of capable incumbents at the position in James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson. While Love will certainly get his chances to contribute in 2026, he may not have the same immediate impact in Arizona that he might have in a different landing spot. Love remains a high-end dynasty asset, but his short-term value is a bit less certain following the NFL Draft.

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson's dynasty value has plummeted over the last few months. Benson was once seen as the potential successor to James Conner in Arizona -- and, at the very least, an extremely valuable handcuff. However, the Cardinals' new coaching staff brought in two new running backs this season, bumping Benson to fourth on the depth chart. Rookie Jeremiyah Love should take over the lead-back role right away, and Conner and Tyler Allgeier will both carve out significant workloads, too. That leaves Benson on the outside looking in, and we can't rule out the possibility of him being a healthy scratch on gamedays. If that happens, managers in shallower dynasty leagues could justify dropping him. At this point, the ideal outcome for fantasy managers would be Benson getting traded to a team that uses him as a true backup. That way, he would maintain his appeal as a handcuff while offering occasional standalone RB3/flex value. For now, though, he remains on the Cardinals' roster, and his outlook is bleak. He has fallen to #59 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty running back rankings.

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride was by far and away the top fantasy TE in 2025 in his fourth year in the NFL, and he was also a Pro Bowler for the second straight season. The 26-year-old finished with career highs across the board in catches (126), receiving yards (1,239), touchdowns (11), and targets (169) in 17 starts. The former second-rounder in 2022 out of Colorado State surprisingly became even more productive after quarterback Kyler Murray's foot injury opened the door for veteran Jacoby Brissett to start from Week 6 on. Ten of his 11 TDs on the year came with Brissett throwing him the ball, and he led all TEs with 33 red-zone targets. The good news for McBride's fantasy value in redraft and dynasty leagues going into the 2026 season is that Brissett will enter the year as Arizona's starter again. The one potential concern is the team's new offense under head coach Mike LaFleur, which should be much more balanced than last year's pass-happy attack. But even with an expected volume hit, McBride is an elite player at his position, and RotoBaller has him ranked as the TE2 in dynasty settings, behind only the Raiders' Brock Bowers.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been skipping voluntary offseason workouts as he waits for a new contract, but head coach Mike LaFleur said the team has been in contact with him, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. "He's played a lot of football, and we're in communication," LaFleur said Friday. "He knows what the expectation is." Brissett has been informed by the team that he is their starting QB for the 2026 season after the organization moved on from Kyler Murray this offseason. The Cardinals added veteran Gardner Minshew in free agency and also drafted QB Carson Beck, but Brissett will be the starter in the desert after his strong 2025 season. After taking over for an injured Murray in Week 6, the 33-year-old former third-rounder by the New England Patriots in 2016 elevated Arizona's pass-happy offense and finished with a career-best 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 games (12 starts). It was good enough for a QB15 finish in fantasy scoring. However, in what is expected to be a much more balanced offense under LaFleur in 2026, we're expecting regression from Brissett. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 27 fantasy QB.

After taking over for Kyler Murray as the starter in Week 6, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett put together a surprisingly productive season in 2025. Across 14 games (12 starts), the 33-year-old completed 64.9% of his pass attempts for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Brissett topped 300 passing yards in four games and threw multiple touchdown passes in 10 out of 12 starts. Pass volume was a huge factor in Brissett's success, as he averaged over 40 attempts per game. With a new coaching staff in place in Arizona in 2026, Brissett's numbers are likely to regress. He's also not a lock to remain the starter for the entire season, as the Cardinals used a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on quarterback Carson Beck. Brissett is currently angling for a contract extension with Arizona, and whether he secures it or not could be a telling sign of how the organization feels about him as its long-term QB1. Either way, dynasty managers should be looking to sell high on Brissett, who profiles as a clear regression candidate.

When a source was asked if the noise about veteran free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers going to the Arizona Cardinals was real, the source said, "Not at all," according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. If Rodgers decides to return for a 22nd year in the NFL, it will only be for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cardinals have veteran signal-callers Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew under center, and just drafted former University of Miami QB Carson Beck in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft. All signs this offseason have pointed to a reunion between Rodgers and Pittsburgh, although recent reports suggest the Steelers' brass could be growing impatient since the 42-year-old has yet to make a decision on his playing status for the 2026 season. Even if another team like Arizona were to make an offer to Rodgers, the Steelers have the right of first refusal to match any offer sheet. They have Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and rookie Drew Allar in their QB room, but if Rodgers re-signs, he'll be the starter once again for the upcoming season. Despite improvements to the team's WR room, Rodgers figures to be a low-upside QB2 in superflex fantasy leagues if he's playing in 2026. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 29 player at the position.

The Arizona Cardinals took former University of Miami quarterback Carson Beck with the first pick in the third round of this year's draft because of his big-game experience, arm strength, size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds), accuracy, toughness, and intangibles. Beck enters a QB room in Arizona that already includes veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew. New head coach Mike LaFleur said that "it won't be the worst thing" for Beck if he "ends up sitting for part or all of his rookie season." That won't be anything new for the 24-year-old, who was a backup at Georgia for his first three seasons, including sitting behind current Los Angeles Rams backup QB Stetson Bennett in 2022. "It benefits anyone in any position to be able to sit back," LaFleur said. "Sometimes, guys don't have the choice because you have to put your best 22 out on the field there." The Cardinals have some maneuvering to do with Brissett's contract this year, but that should be taken care of, and he's fully expected to start under center in 2026 after a career season in 2025 in Arizona. Beck has plenty of long-term upside as a dynasty target in fantasy, but he won't be on the redraft radar at all.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson was one of the lone bright spots for the team last season, delivering 78 catches for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns in a breakout campaign. Most of his production came in the second half of the year, too. From Week 11 through Week 18, he averaged 21.2 points per game and ranked as the overall WR2 -- behind Puka Nacua and ahead of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Most of his production came with Jacoby Brissett as the Cardinals' quarterback. While we don't typically think of Brissett as this special playmaker, he was a solid passer for Arizona and supported big production from both Wilson and Trey McBride. The Cardinals could end up finishing last in the NFC West in 2026, as Brissett remains under center but lacks winning upside. Still, he should continue to support fantasy production from Wilson, who gets the best of both worlds. This year, he'll have consistency with Brissett throwing him the football, and next year, he'll presumably get a flashy quarterback upgrade as the Cardinals build out their offense. As long as the Cardinals' new coaching staff is willing to let Wilson prove himself as the alpha receiver over Marvin Harrison Jr., he should continue to rank as a mid-range WR2 option in both redraft and dynasty leagues.