The Arizona Cardinals need a quarterback, and Daniel Jeremiah believes he knows which one fits, even if the path to get him requires some maneuvering.
The NFL Network analyst pegged Alabama’s Ty Simpson as Arizona’s best fit, though analysts caution against the Cardinals using their No. 3 overall pick on the one-year starter. A trade back into the late first round is seen as a more realistic scenario for a franchise still reeling from a disastrous offseason at the position.
Daniel Jeremiah Advises Cardinals To Act With Patience on Ty Simpson
The Cardinals entered free agency expecting to sign Malik Willis. Every report pointed to Arizona, and general manager Monti Ossenfort’s connection to Willis from their days in Tennessee seemed like a foregone conclusion.
Then Miami swooped in with a three-year, $67.5 million deal, and the Cardinals were left scrambling. That whiff, combined with the $47.5 million dead cap hit from releasing Kyler Murray, left Arizona with Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brissett as its quarterback options. Neither inspires confidence for a team that went 3-14 in 2025.
Jeremiah noted the schematic fit between the two parties on”The Pat McAfee Show,” but there are worrisome trends with Simpson’s lack of experience.
“Arizona makes all the sense in the world to me,” Jeremiah said. “If I could pinpoint one team, it’s Arizona. Now at three? That coffee’s too rich. I cannot see that happening, but then they’re picking at the top of the second round. So if they want to come back into the bottom of the first round, I mean, I think he’s, you know, it’d be a pick I could totally get behind.”
“So I like him, I think he’s got a chance to be a good player,” Jeremiah added. “It’s just, you know, that there are worrisome trends, and we can go all the way through them with Cam Newton being kind of the only guy, you know, since 2011, with under 17 starts, and Cam Newton’s a cyborg, like that’s not a normal human being.”
The historical concern is legitimate. Simpson made just 15 starts at Alabama, backing up Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe for three seasons before finally getting his shot in 2025. He threw for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, but the sample size remains thin.
Since 2011, quarterbacks with fewer than 17 college starts have almost universally failed at the NFL level. Newton remains the lone exception, and with his 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame and generational athleticism, he was a different species entirely. Simpson is 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, and he’s not running over linebackers.
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What Arizona does offer is an infrastructure to develop a young quarterback without demanding immediate heroics. Marvin Harrison Jr. caught 62 passes for 885 yards in his rookie season, and Trey McBride earned All-Pro honors at tight end last season. Michael Wilson provides a reliable third option. James Conner, when healthy, remains one of the league’s most physical runners.
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Simpson’s strengths align with what the supporting cast needs. He processes quickly, works through progressions, and delivers accurate throws in the short-to-intermediate range.
The Alabama star is not a scrambler or a deep-ball artist. He’s a rhythm passer who thrives off play-action, exactly what new head coach Mike LaFleur has built offenses around throughout his career.
The fit makes sense schematically. Whether it makes sense historically is the gamble. Arizona could let Simpson develop behind Brissett, avoiding the pressure that’s crushed other inexperienced signal-callers. Or they could watch the same pattern repeat itself.
Jeremiah clearly believes the upside is worth pursuing, but he doesn’t think it’s worth the No. 3 pick. PFSN’s Big Board also agrees, as Simpson is currently ranked 43rd among all prospects entering the draft this year.
