Gardner Minshew will start at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks after leading the team to a victory over the Dallas Cowboys last weekend, The Associated Press reported.
The Cardinals named Minshew their starting quarterback on Tuesday. The move places Minshew back in the Pacific Northwest, where he starred during his single college season at Washington State University under the late head coach Mike Leach.
Return to Washington State Roots
During the 2018 college football season, Minshew piloted Leach’s Air Raid offense and set a Pac-12 Conference record for passing yards. Washington State finished that year with a university-record 11 wins, capped by a victory in the Alamo Bowl, and Minshew earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Seattle blocker Abe Lucas played alongside Minshew on that 2018 Washington State roster. C’est un gars super et un joueur exceptionnel,
Lucas said of his former teammate, according to The Associated Press. Il y a tellement de belles choses à dire à son sujet. J’aimerais qu’il aille du succès aussi longtemps que possible. Je veux le battre cette semaine, c’est sûr, mais je suis très content pour lui. J’adore ce gars-là.
Following his college career, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Minshew in the sixth round of the NFL draft. He spent stints with multiple NFL franchises before signing a one-year, $5.75 million contract with the Cardinals.
Reflecting on his return to Washington, Minshew noted his appreciation for the region. Être ici aujourd’hui, j’ai encore du mal à y croire,
he said, per The Associated Press. Je suis tellement reconnaissant. J’ai hâte de retourner là-bas, où j’ai été si bien traité par tant de personnes.
Seahawks Turn to Drew Lock
Seattle enters Sunday’s matchup following a 34-17 home loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night. That defeat dropped the defending champions to a 4-4 record.
Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur named Gardner Minshew II as Arizona’s starting QB for the Week 9 game in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/VBw3Qq2S2g
Quarterback Sam Darnold sustained thigh and rib injuries against Chicago and will miss Sunday’s game against the 3-5 Cardinals. Drew Lock will step in as Seattle’s starter in Darnold’s absence. Darnold previously missed Seattle’s Week 2 matchup against Arizona due to a gluteal injury after starting every game last season.
The Seahawks carry a 10-game winning streak against the Cardinals into the weekend. Seattle's defense has not allowed a single rusher to gain 100 yards in a game over a span of 37 matches, marking the longest active streak in the NFL.
Cardinals Secure Overtime Victory Before Seattle Matchup
Arizona arrives in Seattle after a 33-30 overtime victory against the Dallas Cowboys last week. The win marked the Cardinals’ third victory of the season, matching their total win output from 2025. All three of Arizona’s victories this season have come on the road.
On offense, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride leads the NFL with 66 receptions. He also ranks second among all tight ends with 544 receiving yards.
Related reading
,regionOfInterest=(1045,527)&hash=a3b1ba0d94e2d997e4c8d60144bc23e6c1517c3f44a7e0eb2691ec7460684ace)
