The Kansas City Chiefs had about as abysmal a 2025 season as possible, given the sky-high expectations they entered the season with. After losing in blowout fashion to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs were expected to take the NFL by storm in a revenge campaign.
Instead, Kansas City failed to win the AFC West for the first time in nine seasons and missed out on the playoffs entirely. To make matters worse, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with an ACL injury late in the season.
Mahomes wasn’t the only Chiefs quarterback to suffer a late-season knee issue, either. His backup, Gardner Minshew, also went down late with what ended up being diagnosed as a bone bruise, after what was initially an ACL scare.
Minshew is a reliable backup in the league, which would be critical for Kansas City, as Mahomes’ availability at the start of the season may be limited.
Unfortunately, the Chiefs have lost Minshew, who is already back at full strength after his knee injury, to the free agent market, according to one of the league’s top insiders.
“Source: Former Chiefs QB Gardner Minshew II reached an agreement today on a one-year, $8 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals,” ESPN’s senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported.
Source: Former Chiefs QB Gardner Minshew II reached agreement today on a one-year, $8 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals. pic.twitter.com/n00IG4czNA
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2026
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“Honestly, 8 million for a premium backup who can step in and win you a few games is a pretty smart move by Arizona,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“He’s got the arm, he’s got the swagger, and he’s ready to turn State Farm Stadium into his personal playground,” someone else added.
“Cardinals will continue to be a sad excuse of an organization. Keep taking bargain basement deals and saving money to throw at the wrong positions. Every single off-season,” one fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see how Kansas City looks if Mahomes can’t play early in the season.