Jacoby Brissett Waits as Malik Willis Leaves Arizona’s Quarterback Board

jacoby brissett is positioned as Arizona’s starting quarterback for now after Malik Willis, long linked to the Cardinals, agreed to a three-year deal with the Dolphins worth up to a reported $67 million. The shift signals a quarterback plan shaped less by splash spending and more by timing, with Kyler Murray’s departure not yet official and the team unable to finalize outside signings until Wednesday at 1 p. m. ET.

Arizona Cardinals move forward without Malik Willis as Kyler Murray exit nears

One piece of Arizona’s quarterback picture has been settled early in free agency: Malik Willis will not be the quarterback in Arizona. The context describes that teams have been allowed to speak to players from other squads beginning Monday morning, and that Willis reportedly agreed to the Dolphins contract, taking him off the board for the Cardinals.

That reality lands before the “divorce” from Kyler Murray becomes official, but it still changes the immediate depth chart dynamics. The context states that once Murray moves on, “it is Brissett and Kedon Slovis for the time being, ” a clear indication of where the roster stands as decisions get sequenced. For now, that sequencing matters because player movement cannot become official before Wednesday at 1 p. m. ET, and additions will not appear on the team’s official channels until announced and physicals are completed.

Mike LaFleur and the Cardinals face a financial and timing squeeze

Two forces show up repeatedly in the context: the cost of the next quarterback and the timing of when Arizona can actually lock in an addition. The mailbag discussion frames the “financial reality” as a central challenge for any pursuit of a higher-priced bridge option, in large part because Arizona owes Kyler Murray $36. 8 million for 2026 through guarantees tied to the contract he signed in 2022. The context adds that if Murray does a league-minimum deal elsewhere, only $1. 3 million of that would be alleviated, leaving Arizona likely responsible for $35. 5 million in cash, plus more than $20 million in leftover prorated bonus money on the cap.

Those figures create a narrow corridor for decision-making in Mike LaFleur’s first year as head coach. The same context suggests that if the objective is to “clean out the decks a bit” in Year 1, an economical quarterback approach may make more sense given the fiscal commitments already on the books heading into 2026. That fits with what has now happened: a quarterback tied to Arizona speculation for much of February (Willis) is off the board at a reported price point that would have demanded real financial flexibility.

Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Slovis sit at the center of Arizona’s short-term trajectory

With Willis removed from consideration, the context explicitly notes it “opens the door for Jacoby Brissett to remain the starter for the Cardinals for a second season. ” That is the most concrete directional signal available: Arizona’s immediate plan is compatible with continuity at the top of the depth chart, at least until the team adds another quarterback and Murray’s status is finalized.

Names still circulate, but the context narrows the type of player Arizona may target. Jimmy Garoppolo appears as a veteran option, with speculation tied to a potential reunion with LaFleur, who was Garoppolo’s offensive coordinator with the Rams. Yet the same context also says Garoppolo is a free agent who could return to Los Angeles as Matthew Stafford’s backup, a reminder that Arizona’s quarterback solution is not solely in its control.

Based on context data, Arizona’s quarterback decision tree now looks less like a single big swing and more like a layered roster-management exercise:

• Willis: no longer available to Arizona after agreeing to the Dolphins deal (three years, up to a reported $67 million).
• Murray: departure referenced as pending, with significant 2026 financial obligations still attached.
• Current room once Murray moves on: Brissett and Kedon Slovis “for the time being. ”
• Veteran additions under discussion: Jimmy Garoppolo, and the mailbag also mentions Joe Flacco as an economical option.

If Malik Willis is off the market, Arizona’s next QB add tilts to a veteran

If Willis being unavailable continues to define Arizona’s market options, the context points to a practical outcome: the Cardinals still “will need to sign a QB, ” and the names attached are veterans who can be framed as affordable relative to a premium bridge. The mailbag explicitly connects the financial burden of Murray’s guarantees and cap considerations to the logic of choosing an economical option in LaFleur’s first year.

That dynamic reinforces jacoby brissett’s near-term standing. Keeping the current starter in place while exploring a veteran addition aligns with the constraints described, particularly while moves cannot be made official until Wednesday at 1 p. m. ET and while Arizona sorts out the timing of Murray’s exit.

Should Kyler Murray’s separation finalize, the Cardinals’ timeline shifts quickly

Should the Murray move become official in the near term, the context indicates the roster snaps into a clearer interim shape: Brissett and Slovis at quarterback, with the organization still needing to add at least one more passer. The difference is not philosophical so much as operational, because the moment Murray “moves on” changes what the team is managing day to day and accelerates the urgency to complete the quarterback room.

The context does not resolve which specific quarterback Arizona will sign, or whether Garoppolo ends up in Los Angeles as a backup, leaving the veteran market’s final shape unclear. What is confirmed is the next practical milestone: no switch can be made official before Wednesday at 1 p. m. ET, and any Arizona additions depend on announcements and completed physicals. For now, the signals point to Arizona treating quarterback as a staged build, with Brissett holding the center of the plan until the next transaction becomes official.