The Kansas City Chiefs need a new No. 2 quarterback this offseason, which is made more important by Patrick Mahomes' uncertain recovery timeline. The Chiefs ran with veteran gunslinger Gardner Minshew as the QB2 until his season-ending injury last year, and while some fans may have been open to a re-signing in free agency, that's no longer a possibility.
The Associated Press' David Brant is reporting that Minshew has signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals, "worth up to $8 million with incentives." It's a lot of money for a backup quarterback, signalling how leaving the Chiefs may have been the best call for his career.
Gardner Minshew Scores Big Win Amid His Chiefs Exit
Aside from the 2025 season, the Chiefs have been in the Super Bowl mix for the better part of the last decade. It'd be understandable why someone would question how leaving Kansas City would benefit a player's career, but here we are.
According to Brandt, Minshew will make $5.75 million even if he doesn't reach his incentives. That's significant coming off a season-ending injury, regardless of how desperate the Cardinals might be.
While further additions could be made, as things currently stand, it isn't crazy to point to Minshew as Arizona's QB1. The only current competition is Jacoby Brissett, who went 1-11 and didn't exactly wow fans by completing 64.9% of passes for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns to eight interceptions, and a 94.1 passer rating. Far from the worst stats, but nothing that makes him untouchable.
It isn't unfathomable to imagine Minshew challenging Brissett for the QB1 job if the latter falters at any point. The former Pro Bowl passer has 47 career starts under his belt, so it's possible he could thrive if the Cardinals surround him with the right protection and weapons.
Minshew has a path to a starting job and a big pay raise, which wouldn't have happened if he had stuck with the Chiefs. Even if Mahomes is still recovering from his injury, everyone knows he'd banish Minshew back to the bench as soon as he returns.
It'll be interesting to see if Minshew can capitalize on his new opportunity, especially with it looking better with each passing day. While leaving the Chiefs is often a mistake, this time around, it is clear that the signal-caller made the right decision, leaving time to tell if he'll be starting for the Cardinals when they visit Arrowhead Stadium as a 2026 opponent.