Jacoby Brissett Absent from OTAs as Contract Talks Loom

Jacoby Brissett, who only won one game in 12 starts in 2025, is demanding starting QB level money from the Cardinals.

Jacoby Brissett Absent from OTAs as Contract Talks Loom

Jacoby Brissett (Image via IMAGO)

In Short
  • Jacoby Brissett is absent from OTAs while negotiating for a starting quarterback salary.
  • He is under contract for $9.06 million in 2026, with only $1.5 million guaranteed.
  • The Arizona Cardinals have not confirmed whether Brissett will be their starting quarterback for the upcoming season.

The reason behind Jacoby Brissett skipping the first phase of the voluntary workout sessions may prove to be a big headache for the Arizona Cardinals. That’s because Brissett is demanding the starting quarterback level of compensation to return to the facility.

The Cardinals signed Brissett to a two-year deal ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Kyler Murray started until his injury, handing the QB1 job to Brissett.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Brissett is set to make a salary of $9.06 million in 2026 with $1.5 million guaranteed. That’s not exactly top-tier money to be the starting quarterback of an NFL franchise.

With Murray now part of the Minnesota Vikings, Brissett is likely to start even though the Cardinals brought in Gardner Minshew. Then again, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN reported that the Cardinals had yet to inform Brissett whether he would start in week one of the new season. Thus, initiating the holdout. It’s still early, but Brissett asking for starting QB money could force the Cardinals to explore other options.

Here’s where the NFL draft comes in. Arizona owns the 3rd, 34th, and 65th picks in the first three rounds of the draft in Pittsburgh. Mock drafts project Fernando Mendoza to be the first quarterback off the board. But he will probably be part of the Las Vegas Raiders rather than any other team.

Alabama’s Ty Simpson is widely regarded as the second-best quarterback. However, draft analysts aren’t too sure about where to place him. Some say Simpson is a first-round prospect, while others view him as a third-rounder.

The chances of the Cardinals drafting Simpson at third overall are very low. Then again, very few could have guessed the Falcons trading up to take Michael Penix Jr. in the top ten a couple of years ago.

Simpson possesses a skill that most rookie QBs lack. At Alabama, he ran a pro-style offense and, despite suffering an injury, helped the Crimson Tide to 11 wins and a Rose Bowl appearance. His Achilles’ heel is the number of games he has played during his four years in college. With Jalen Milroe starting for Bama, Simpson accepted the backup role instead of entering the portal.

Arizona general manager Monti Ossenfort does not see Simpson’s lack of game experience as an issue.

Some guys are gonna have more [tape], some guys’ tape looks better than others. So I think that’s just another piece of that evaluation process. So I think you’ve just gotta go with what you have.

Ossenfort said (H/T: AZCENTRAL)

How did Jacoby Brissett perform for the Cardinals in 2025?

Brissett spent the 2024 season with the New England Patriots. After the season ended, he signed a two-year deal worth $12.5 million with the Cardinals.

Jacoby Brissett Absent from OTAs as Contract Talks Loom
Jacoby Brissett (Image via IMAGO)

Murray played five games, going 2-3 before picking up a foot injury that ruled him out for the rest of the year. Brissett took over and played 14 games, starting in 12 of them. He threw for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. However, he only won one game from a possible twelve.

The Cardinals went 3-14 and finished at the bottom of the NFC West, while divisional rivals the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl.

Also Read: