The New England Patriots are one of the league's more fortunate teams to have their QB situation settled for the next decade. Drake Maye proved he's a star, but just like the Patriots were a few seasons ago, plenty of teams will be searching for a new starting quarterback in 2026.
Among those teams is the Arizona Cardinals. Kyler Murray will not be on the roster next season, and two-time former Patriot Jacoby Brissett has been mentioned as a trade candidate in recent weeks, with the Jets and Falcons specifically mentioned as potential landing spots.
New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur will want to bring in one of his own, and the quarterback position is a good place to start. In a recent ESPN article by Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, Fowler mentions Jimmy Garoppolo as a strong candidate to be Murray's successor in Arizona.
A recent source told them the former Patriot is "[LaFleur's] guy".
Jimmy Garoppolo is the next potential starter in Arizona
The connection between LaFleur and Jimmy G is obvious. The QB has spent the last two seasons as Matt Stafford's backup, and while Brissett is a viable bridge option, the opportunity to cash him in for a few Day 3 picks to improve their cache of draft picks ahead of a rebuild seems a reasonable course of action.
The 34-year-old has come a long way from his days filling in for a suspended Tom Brady. He didn't throw a pass in 2025, but started the final game of the season in 2024, going 27/41 for 334 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception.
While the Rams came up short, they scored 25 points, and Garoppolo showed he's a more than capable backup.
While Alabama's Ty Simpson has gained some traction over the past few weeks, it seems 2026 is a one-quarterback draft class, with Fernando Mendoza the only blue-chipper. Holding the 34th and 65th picks in the draft aside from their No. 3 overall selection, Arizona could opt to take a flier on a quarterback with Garoppolo acting as their 2026 starter.
Perhaps LaFleur believes he can get the best out of a former five-star, like Penn State's Drew Allar or Clemson's Cade Klubnik? Could a spectacular athlete, like Arkansas signal-caller Taylen Green, sit behind the veteran for a year or two before taking over?
While free agency will have bigger storylines than the fate of the Rams' backup, the former Patriot could be a key piece in what could prove to be a fruitful rebuild for the Arizona Cardinals.