Minshew Magic Returns: Cardinals Bench Jacoby Brissett After Overtime Thriller

Ian Rapoport just dropped the news that Gardner Minshew is officially taking over as the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. Minshew coming off the bench to steal a job is basically an NFL tradition at this point, and this time it comes at the direct expense of Jacoby Brissett.

Brissett heads to the bench just one day after Minshew sparked a chaotic 33-30 overtime win against the Dallas Cowboys. The quarterback swap feels inevitable after Sunday's thriller, where Minshew stepped in and immediately injected life into a stagnant offense.

"Ian Rapoport reported the move, noting Minshew's 'heroics led to a dramatic win.'"

The context here is objectively hilarious. Brissett spent the offseason holding out of voluntary OTAs to angle for a raise, only to watch the team pivot to signing Minshew after a deal with Jimmy Garoppolo reportedly hit a snag. Now, Brissett is holding a clipboard for a 3-5 Cardinals team that ranks dead last in the league in points allowed.

Sunday's game was the exact kind of messy, high-drama football that Minshew was built for. He survived a missed Chad Ryland extra point at the end of regulation before Ryland redeemed himself with a 42-yard walk-off field goal in overtime. Throw in a massive third-down sack by Josh Sweat to stall Dallas in the extra period, and the Cardinals suddenly looked like a team with a pulse.

For anyone looking at the betting markets, this changes the math on an Arizona team that currently averages just 21.9 points per game. Minshew has thrown for 455 yards and four touchdowns over his last six appearances, bringing a chaotic variance that makes the Cardinals a terrifying team to handicap. Brissett was steady, posting an 88.4 passer rating over the last two years, but steady does not fix a 3-5 record when your defense is giving up 29.8 points a week.

The Minshew experience officially begins this Sunday when Arizona travels to face the Seattle Seahawks. Expect plenty of deep shots, at least one inexplicable turnover, and a game that somehow comes down to the final possession.