Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals Remain Far Apart in Contract Talks Amid OTA Absence

Jacoby Brissett is set to earn $4.9 million in 2026, with the potential for it to go as high as $5.39 million.

Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals Remain Far Apart in Contract Talks Amid OTA Absence

Jacoby Brissett (Image via IMAGO)

In Short
  • The Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Jacoby Brissett are significantly apart in contract negotiations.
  • Brissett is holding out from offseason training sessions, seeking a long-term deal before the mandatory minicamp.
  • Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms supports Brissett's holdout, emphasizing his value to the team's offense.

The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly not making much progress with starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett in terms of giving him a long-term contract. For that reason, the veteran signal caller is staying away from the Cardinals’ offseason training sessions.

The Cardinals signed Brissett on a two-year deal ahead of the 2025 season. He took over as the starting quarterback after Kyler Murray was sidelined due to injury.

With one more year left on his contract, Brissett is eyeing a big payday and is holding out from taking part in the OTAs. According to a report from Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, the Cardinals and Brissett are still “significantly far apart” on a new deal.

The gap in the negotiations puts into question whether Brissett will report to the Cardinals for next week’s OTAs. Arizona will hold a mandatory minicamp for veterans and rookies June 8-10.

Weinfuss wrote
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Jacoby Brissett wants to sign a new contract

Earlier this year, the Cardinals released Murray and declared Brissett as their starting quarterback. Arizona signed veteran Gardner Minshew and drafted Miami alum Carson Beck in the third round.

Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals Remain Far Apart in Contract Talks Amid OTA Absence
Jacoby Brissett (Image via IMAGO)

Seeing that he’s the starter, Brissett is holding out for an extension. Under the terms of his current deal, he’s set to earn $4.9 million in 2026, with the potential for it to go as high as $5.39 million. Only $1.5 million of the deal is guaranteed. That’s a very small amount for a QB1 in the NFL who is not a rookie. For context, Minshew will earn $5.14 million guaranteed as a backup.

After glancing over the financial flow chart, it does make sense for Brissett to request more money. However, it’s tough to predict whether the Cardinals will budge from their stance. They can’t trade him because there’s barely any market for an ageing quarterback who will probably be a backup on every other NFL team except the Cardinals.

NFL expert backs Jacoby Brissett’s holdout for a new contract

Former NFL quarterback turned analyst, Chris Simms, threw his support behind Brissett’s cause on the latest episode of his podcast. Simms argued that Brissett’s record may not seem great on paper, but his tape says something else. The 33-year-old did not have much protection from his offensive line, and his receivers dropped a lot of chances.

Simms believes that if the Cardinals can provide better protection to Brissett, he can make a difference.

Jacoby Brissett should hold his damn ground. He deserves to be paid more. They are not going to be as good on offense without him at quarterback, and he has that leverage. Hopefully, they can figure that out.

Simms said on Unbuttoned

Brissett completed 315 passes from 485 attempts for 3366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions.

Arizona can always bump up Brissett’s signing bonus, similar to the way the Bengals managed to keep hold of pass rusher Trey Hendrickson for an additional season. For that to work, Brissett must agree to the terms as well. However, do the Cardinals really want to risk paying a guy who posted a 1-11 record?

Brissett, an alum of NC State Wolfpack, was drafted in the third round by the New England Patriots in 2016. After just one year and a Super Bowl victory on his CV, the Patriots traded him to the Colts. He bounced around from Miami to Cleveland and Washington before reuniting with the Patriots in 2024. After posting a 1-4 record, he lost the QB1 job to rookie Drake Maye. He was released last year.

Brissett has a 20-45 record in 65 starts (101 total appearances). He has registered 1391 completions (61.9%) for 14,766 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions.

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